Ben Shelton wants to “settle” Novak Djokovic beef that followed him from NYC to Melbourne

Episode 6 of Break Point is a fitting finale to season 2 of the Netflix series—especially for fans of US tennis.

“Becoming the One” revisits season 1 stars Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, and checks in with a mostly American ensemble including Tommy Paul, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton ahead of the US Open. (Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka’s rise to world No. 1 and her run to the women’s final is presented as a minor subplot—an unforced error on Netflix’s part, as the charismatic Belarusian and her entertaining team could easily carry an episode on their own.)

The season finale captures the hectic buildup to the year’s last Grand Slam in New York City—where the practice, training and competition takes place in Queens, and the parties, hotels and media events happen in Manhattan.

“Winning a Grand Slam changes your life,” Naomi Osaka explains in a confessional. “I think if you’re an American winning the US Open, it’s like, double.”

Like the rest of the series, the story is told through pensive, slow-motion shots of players walking around the grounds and going to and from practices, with a few peeks into the behind-the-scenes life of player gyms and sponsor obligations. There are also a few glimpses of Team USA’s locker room camaraderie revealed throughout: Fritz and Tiafoe chatting away as they get massaged; a lot of ribbing between Gauff, Shelton and Tiafoe before their quarterfinals; Tiafoe talking to Fritz’s agent after the latter’s defeat to Djokovic.

The episode especially does a great job in communicating just how electrifying Shelton’s out-of-nowhere breakthrough felt like at the time—and what a jolt it gave American men’s tennis. Having previously reached the Australian Open quarterfinals and armed with a booming lefty serve, Grand Slam success seemed inevitable for Shelton, but for it to come so soon was unexpected.

“Ben Shelton is raw talent and ambition,” former world No. 1 Jim Courier tells Break Point viewers. “He doesn’t come into the US Open with pressure or celebrity or fame. He is fearless.”

The American knocked out two countrymen in No. 14 seed Paul and No. 10 seed Tiafoe on his way to his first Grand Slam semifinal. That was where most tennis fans were introduced to Shelton’s now-infamous “Hang up the phone!” celebration—he was shown on Break Point miming himself putting a phone to his ear and hanging it up after defeating Tiafoe in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Shelton went on to face Djokovic—a player who, despite putting in one of the best seasons in tennis, barely received a mention on season 2—and the then 23-time Grand Slam champion flipped that celebration on its head: Djokovic mimed himself hanging up the phone on Shelton instead.

Much ink was spilled about what it all meant: Who was Shelton’s celebration aimed at? Why did Djokovic copy it? Who got into whose head? Recent comments in L’Equipe attributed to Djokovic point to the Serbian mimicking the celebration because he found it “unsportsmanlike” and disrespectful—at the time, Djokovic said he "loved" Shelton’s “very original” celebration.

Whatever the case, Shelton refused to be goaded into a discussion about the topic when asked by press in Melbourne following the No. 16 seed’s 6-2, 7-6 (2), 7-5 victory over Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round.

“I don't really have anything else to say on the whole US Open situation,” Shelton said. “I feel like I've been asked about it constantly in the last four or five months. I feel like I've said my peace on the matter. I would rather just let it settle and move forward.

“We're in Australia now, and we're at the Australian Open and not the US Open anymore. I'm just focusing on the Australian Open and happy and grateful to be here.”

For now, Shelton and Gauff are focused on dodging the "Netflix curse" in Melbourne—a curious case which saw the stars of season 1 fail to meet expectations at the year's first Grand Slam tournament.

Season 2 of Break Point is available to stream now on Netflix.