Ben Shelton has been catching the eye at the Australian Open with his tennis, but also with his comments off the court.
Shelton is into a first Australian Open semi-final, with Rod Laver Arena hosting his meeting with ATP number one Jannik Sinner.
But Shelton criticised Australian Open broadcasters for being negative throughout the competition, while Novak Djokovic was also left frustrated by disparaging comments from a broadcaster in Melbourne.
And both players have seemingly sparked a debate about broadcaster etiquette at the Australian Open and indeed in tennis as a whole.
Former WTA number four Caroline Garcia has now weighed in on the debate, having shared quotes from Theodore Roosevelt about criticism on social media.
Danielle Collins appears to praise Ben Shelton after Australian Open criticism
Accompanying the post on Tennis Insider Club, the podcast she founded, it was written: “In a world full of social media ‘experts,’ never forget: true respect belongs to the one in the arena.”
Her fellow WTA star Danielle Collins shared the post on her Instagram story, writing the message: “Well said Caroline Garcia. A very wise soul.”
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While neither Garcia nor Collins mention Shelton by name, the timing and nature of the post does suggest that it is an immediate reaction to his ongoing frustrations in Melbourne.
WTA and ATP stars continue to impress despite media distractions
Players and indeed fans will definitely want the focus to be on the actual tennis at the Australian Open, particularly as it sets the tone for the rest of the Grand Slam season.
But it seems that the former are now somewhat fighting back against broadcasters, who do often frustrate the star names with intrusive or even disrespectful questions and claims.
Fortunately the players across the ATP and WTA tours have been putting on a real show in Melbourne, with Madison Keys outlasting Iga Swiatek in the latest thriller.
Keys meets Sabalenka in the women’s singles final, with Shelton set to meet either Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev if he can achieve the unthinkable and overcome Sinner.
Collins meanwhile has certainly not been afraid of the limelight in Australia, having come under fire for riling up the fans on the court and indeed fanning the flames with her press conference comments about her tournament winnings.
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