Ben Shelton has a match celebration at this year's US Open, and we've seen it a few times because he's won quite a few matches at the event.
Match celebrations are not unusual in tennis, as we've seen plenty over the years. Shelton has been showing off one at this year's US Open, and the emphasis is on showing off. You can't really show it off unless you win matches, and he's been winning matches.
The most recent one over Frances Tiafoe was an impressive showing, confirming his as an emerging superstar with plenty of things to say in the future. We've seen it earlier this year in Australia, so this run to the semi-final shouldn't be a huge surprise to anyone.
In his celebration, Shelton makes a phone with his hand and puts it close to his face as if he's talking on a phone. Speaking after the win over Tiafoe, Shelton explained what the celebration means to him, and it's about being dialled in.
But for me it's kind of like I'm saying I'm dialed in. That's what it is for me. You know, the first time that I really saw it is I'm really close friends with a lot of track and field athletes who train at the University of Florida where I live in Gainesville.
One in particular, Grant Holloway, who's won the World Championships I think three times in a row now, that's kind of his signature thing. He loves doing this when he wins, and a lot of other athletes on the team kind of started doing it after too.
He probably knows that there are quite a few other kids doing it, thanks to him and his inspirational run at the US Open. That's what it's all about in sports. Older athletes inspire new generations, who then inspire new ones, and it goes in circles.
Shelton is doing that now and will for the next 10+ years. Who knows, maybe in 20 years, we see somebody namedrop him.
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