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Novak Djokovic could be in for a tough time with the US Open crowd on Friday as he takes on home hope Ben Shelton. The world No 47 is the last American standing in the men\u2019s draw and will have huge support in his maiden Grand Slam semi-final. But Djokovic is no stranger to crowd hostility, as commentators claimed he was \u201coffended\u201d during the Wimbledon final.<\/p>\n
Djokovic is set to face an American at the US Open for the second match in a row, and this time it will be an unknown opponent for the second seed. The three-time champion in Flushing Meadows will take on Shelton, who is playing in just his fifth Major tournament.<\/p>\n
The 20-year-old has become a firm fan favourite at his home Grand Slam event and Djokovic is already well aware that the crowd will be pulling for their man. It won\u2019t be the first time that the Serb has found himself battling the spectators as well as his opponent, as he has often felt the wrath of a one-sided tennis stadium<\/p>\n
During the Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz, commentator Andrew Castle noticed that the world No 2 wasn\u2019t happy when the fans cheered his mistakes. He said: \u201cNow we hear applause from the crowd, as Djokovic in a sarcastic way thinks \u2018Why are you cheering this guy? It was lucky, I shouldn\u2019t have missed that\u2019. He\u2019s so mildly offended by the support his opponent is getting. He likes it when people are against him sometimes, he uses it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Click here to join our WhatsApp community to be the first to receive breaking and exclusive tennis news<\/strong><\/p>\n Just in <\/strong> Daniil Medvedev ‘couldn’t see the ball’ in brutal US Open conditions[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n But, as Castle noticed, Djokovic has often thrived in hostile environments. The 23-time Grand Slam champion will be hoping to do the same thing again when he faces Shelton in the semi-final but he has already admitted that it will be difficult when the fans get into the match.<\/p>\n Djokovic had some practice against Fritz in the quarter-final, though the crowd were flatter than expected as the second seed put on a clinic, winning 6-1 6-4 6-4. But he knew that things could turn sour if the spectators were given a reason to rally behind their man.<\/p>\n We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n Don’t miss… <\/strong> \u201cI didn’t really want him to win the third set, because, you know, then I guess the crowd would really get into it even more and it would become more difficult task for me to handle,\u201d he said afterwards. \u201cBecause, you know, it’s normal, it’s logical to expect that most of the crowd would support the home player.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s something Djokovic is expecting against the world No 47. \u201cThat’s probably going to be the case on Friday, but I’ll be ready for it,\u201d he added. As well as the crowd, the second seed is also expecting a challenge from Shelton himself. \u201cI mean, Ben Shelton has been serving some bombs this tournament. When his serve is on, he’s very difficult player to play against, especially because he’s lefty, as well,\u201d he said of the American\u2019s game.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/72\/590x\/secondary\/4947152.jpg?r=1694037772895\")
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