“Novak Djokovic will knock some sense into him” – Fans angry over Ben Shelton's celebration against ‘friend’ Frances Tiafoe after US Open QF win

Ben Shelton beat Frances Tiafoe in the US Open quarterfinal on Tuesday, September 5 to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal - where he'll face Novak Djokovic. However, Shelton has been at the receiving end of some anger from tennis fans online, who are not happy with his celebrations against his 'friend' Tiafoe.

Some fans even wished for Ben Shelton to receive a thrashing at the hands of Novak Djokovic in the US Open semifinal.

Shelton is set to lock horns with the 23-time Grand Slam champion for a place in the 2023 US Open final. This will be his first-ever meeting with Djokovic on the court.

The Serb made his way to a 47th Grand Slam semifinal with a straight-sets victory over American No. 1 Taylor Fritz on Tuesday. Later in the day, Shelton defeated Tiafoe 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 in an all-American quarterfinal clash, much to the delight of the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

However, his "dialed in" celebration after the victory has not gone down well with all tennis fans. One of them wrote:

"Good lord don't make me root for Djokovic."

Shelton and Tiafoe share an amicable bond off the court, which made a user question the 20-year-old's celebratory gesture.

"And he's supposed to be friends with Tiafoe," the user wrote.

Another fan chimed in saying:

"He's too cocky. Djokovic will knock some sense into him."

Here are a few more reactions:

"I care about this profession and I take it very seriously" - Novak Djokovic at US Open

Press conference: US Open.

After reaching the semifinal of the US Open on Tuesday, Novak Djokovic talked about the conversations he has with his team box while playing big matches.

"I care about this profession and I take it very seriously. You know, we expect the highest kind of dedication and I guess involvement from our team members, as our team members and coaching staff expect from us," he said during the post-match press conference.

During his quarterfinal battle against Taylor Fritz, the Serb lost his cool a couple of times and screamed in frustration at his team box.

"The intensity is there," he continued in the presser. "In the heat of the battle, obviously a lot of different things can be done on the court. But, you know, overall we are a team, we are sticking together through good times, bad times, and I'm grateful that I have the team that I have."

"You know, we have had some tremendous success in the last, especially in the last couple of years. You know, I'm pleased with where I stand," he added.

The 36-year-old has been working with former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic since June 2019. The duo has won eight Major tournaments together.