Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios responded to comments made by Ben Shelton's father in the wake of Novak Djokovic copying the young American's 'dial-in' celebration at the US Open.
Djokovic and Shelton faced off in the semifinal of the 2023 US Open, where the second-seeded Serbian triumphed in straight sets and went on to clinch a 24th major crown a few days later. But it was the post-match celebration that generated buzz all over social media.
Djokovic apparently mimicked Shelton's signature celebration of hanging up the telephone call. In the quarterfinal, Shelton deployed the move for the first time after beating his compatriot Frances Tiafoe. Even though the 20-year-old wasn't at all fussed about it, his father did not take kindly to Djokovic's actions.
Shelton's father went on record to say that Djokovic 'mocked' his son. Kyrgios rebuffed Bryan Shelton's claims that the Serbian ridiculed Ben Shelton, explaining that sports stars are entertainers and not robots and that the human touch should enable them to do what they feel like.
The one-time Grand Slam finalist appears to take a dig at Shelton's father for making such comments in order to divert attention from the actual match which his son lost.
"So what?!?!? Sport is entertainment. We aren't robots. More people spoke about the celebration than the match."
Kyrgios is currently recovering from injuries that have sidelined him for an entire year so far. He's still retaining hope of playing a part this season, recently saying he's eyeing a major comeback in spite of playing just one match in 2023.
Last month, Kyrgios updated his millions of fans on Instagram asking for more patience. Despite making controversial claims about retiring from the sport by 33, Kyrgios admitted he has 'some fire left in the tank' and only needs to overcome the niggling injuries which have curtailed his plans to return to the Tour.
In his time away, Kygios has seen his ranking tank to unimaginable low levels. The Canberra native is outside the world's Top 400. After a career-best 2022 season, Kyrgios will have to start from scratch when he resumes competing on the ATP Tour.
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