Watch: Trinity Rodman Speaks Out on Boyfriend Ben Shelton’s Injury Following 2025 US Open Retirement
Win or lose, Trinity Rodman has been serving looks of love at Ben Shelton all summer.
And only a couple of world-class athletes could say that they wished their schedules kept them apart more often.
“It’s bittersweet,” Rodman told Victory+ July 3 after Shelton’s first-round loss at Wimbledon freed him up for an in-person kiss following the Washington Spirit’s 2-1 win over the Houston Dash. “I wish he wasn’t here, but I’m obviously happy whenever he’s able to come and support me and I get to spend time with him.”
The highest-paid women’s soccer player in the world was less conflicted after Shelton won the National Bank Open in Montreal Aug. 13.
“Drive, dedication and commitment,” she wrote on Instagram. “Back to back Canada champ! Celebrate every win baby…I love you.”
And Shelton is hoping to ride that momentum all the way at the 2026 U.S. Open, where the 23-year-old is a No. 8 seed and hoping to bounce back after a shoulder injury forced him to retire during his third-round match last year.
Though Wimbledon ended prematurely for Shelton’s cheering squad this year, Rodman was front and center at the tournament last year alongside his mom Lisa Shelton, dad Bryan Shelton and sister Emma Shelton. The Washington Spirit forward also turned heads with a series of designer looks as her boyfriend made it to the quarterfinals, where he lost to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images
But at more low-key tournaments (which, compared to Wimbledon, is all of them) and while living life in general, Rodman is known for sporting custom Shelton merch, such as the “BEN 10” tank-top she was wearing June 14 when he won the BOSS Open in Stuttgart, Germany.
“I won a title at I think every tournament she’s been at this year,” he said from the court as Rodman, having just flown in from playing with the U.S. Women’s National Team in Brazil, looked on. “You’re definitely the good luck charm, so I really appreciate you making the effort.”
As she wrote on Instagram afterward, “#1 fan I love you.” Shelton replied in the comments, “Mine,” with a heart emoji.
Yes, these two are sweeter than strawberries and cream.
And Shelton is also happy to get on a plane when possible to catch Rodman at work, jetting to a Spirit game after his U.S. Open was cut short last year.
Rodman had been in New York for his opening match—”My girlfriend took the red eye from California last night to be here,” Shelton told the crowd after his win—and crashed his post-match press conference to troll him about his slightly slower than usual serve. (He returned the favor after she had a two-goal game in September, taking the field to interview her for ESPN. When she cracked up, he said, “I’m gonna be the bigger man, I’m gonna keep it positive.”)
Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
But when it came to his disappointing U.S. Open exit, she was all heart, posting to her Instagram Stories, “You are strength and dedication. I love you, and you’ll be back stronger.”
Shelton duly consoled Rodman from his front-row seat in November when the Spirit came up short in the NWSL Championship match, losing to Gotham FC.
But stomaching the occasional loss comes with the program, and they’ll both have their game faces on in New York.
Lyndsay Radnedge/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images
Of course, with great skill comes great expectations, and that’s where having a girlfriend who gets it comes in. Both athletes are adept at this point at shutting out the noise and thriving in the spotlight.
“Outside pressures do nothing but put your own expectations too high and start impacting every little detail of your game,” Rodman, whose father is Dennis Rodman, told Red Bull in May 2025.
Shelton said he tries “not to focus on proving myself as much as I focus on improving my game,” telling Thorne in April 2025, “Pressure is always there, but as we say in tennis, pressure is a privilege. I channel that into my game by staying present, fighting for every point, and seizing the energy on the biggest stage.”
Rodman was first photographed watching Shelton play in April 2025 at the BMW Open in Munich, a month after he hard-launched their relationship on Instagram.
“I’m obviously very happy and hopefully some of the world’s happy,” Rodman said on SportsCenter a couple weeks after the reveal. “It’s in the public eye, so I can’t really do much about that.”
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Their romance sped up faster than Shelton’s 150 mph first serve in the ensuing months, Rodman captioning a Jan. 1 photo of the pair kissing, “2025 you were somethin… thank you for bringing me my soulmate.”
Trinity Rodman/Instagram
And the competitive couple don’t just appreciate each other’s athletic prowess. A reel posted on Wimbledon’s Instagram June 23 showed Shelton showing off some fancy footwork with a soccer ball during a practice session at the All-England Club, and he’s been giving Rodman tennis lessons.
“I’m getting really good at tennis,” she told TNT Sports in January. And “he’s really good at soccer, it’s really bizarre.”
She even told him to edit out a piece of video they shot on the pitch in which she came at him left-footed and “he destroyed me,” Rodman said with a laugh. “But once I’m able to beat him in a point or something, a rally, then I’ll maybe set the tripod up.”
While these two work on their mixed doubles game, find out more about the love lives of tennis’ biggest stars:
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P
Alessandro Levati/Getty Images for Dsquared2
Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
VCG/VCG via Getty Images
Instagram/@BenShelton
Tim Clayton/Getty Images
Steve Granitz / FilmMagic / Alexander Tamargo / Getty Images for Lacoste
Instagram/@Katiecboulter
Robert Prange/Getty Images
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Gael Monfils/Instagram
(Originally published June 28, 2026, at 3 a.m. PT)
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