Coco Gauff’s father steps in after Ben Shelton’s US Open celebration triggers a heated fan reaction

Coco Gauff’s father Corey Gauff has defended Ben Shelton after an Instagram user criticized the American’s celebration following his second-round win at the 2026 US Open. Shelton beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. After the win, Shelton celebrated with his team as the home crowd cheered. One fan called his reaction “way over the top,” and Corey responded, “Shut up.”Corey Gauff defends Ben Shelton after his US Open celebrationThe criticism appeared under a video posted by the official US Open Instagram account. The clip showed Shelton celebrating after a tense four-set battle with Hurkacz. The 23-year-old American roared, clenched his fists and went around to shake hands with members of his team.Shelton then met Hurkacz at the net and shared a respectful moment with the Polish player. Still, one fan was not impressed by the celebration and wrote, “Calm down dude… this guy is way over the top with his reactions.”Corey Gauff noticed the comment and replied with two simple words: “Shut up.” Corey is the father of American tennis star Coco Gauff, who is also competing at the US Open this year.Shelton’s reaction came after a match that had plenty of pressure. He took the opening set 6-3, but Hurkacz answered by winning the second 7-5. The third set went to a tiebreak, where Shelton moved ahead 7-3. Hurkacz stayed close in the fourth, but Shelton broke late and closed out the match 7-5.The official US Open website reported that Shelton was playing his first match against Hurkacz. It also noted that the American was wearing visible cupping marks on his left shoulder after the joint injury that forced him to retire from last year’s US Open.Ben Shelton praises fans after Hubert Hurkacz battleShelton’s celebration also made more sense when he spoke about the crowd after the match. During his on-court interview, he thanked the fans for their support and praised Hurkacz for the level he brought during the contest.“I am super happy with the way the match went. It was a battle until the end and I thought Hubi played outstanding today. It was really tough to deal with everything he was throwing at me and if I was commentating, I would talk about how loud this crowd was from start to finish.”The official US Open report also quoted Shelton explaining that Hurkacz raised his level after Shelton moved ahead by a set and a break. The American said the match gave him useful experience and that he found several things in his game that he wants to carry into the next rounds.The win also kept Shelton’s US Open run moving after a demanding opening-round match against Tallon Griekspoor. He will now play Denis Shapovalov in the third round. The Canadian reached the round after beating Luca Van Assche. According to the official US Open, Shelton has won all four of his previous matches against Shapovalov and has never lost to him.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.