Ben Shelton advanced to his first career Grand Slam at the 2026 US Open where he’ll face top seed Alexander Zverev on September 13.
Shelton’s girlfriend, Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman, will not be at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday. The Spirit hosts the Boston Legacy at 1 p.m. EST while the men’s singles final starts at 2 p.m. EST.
Rodman, however, made it to Flushing Meadows for his 4-6,6-3,6-3,7-5 semifinal win over fellow American Frances Tiafoe. After the match, Shelton thanked his family and team, but not Rodman.
“Imma need you guys on Sunday to bring the energy,” he told the crowd. “We’re going for it here. Imma leave it all on the court. I hope you guys come and back me.”
Shelton omitted Rodman from his postgame speech following his late-night victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, as well. “I’m just hoping my best friend and sister over there don’t have to be at work at 6 a.m. in three hours,” Shelton said. “It would be huge for their employers to let them have the day off today.”
However, Rodman needed to be back in Washington for practice at 11 a.m. after his match ended at 3:33 a.m. The TV cameras captured the NWSL’s highest-paid player saying, “What about me?”
One fan commented on X, “forgetting her in the shoutout is actually criminal work.” Another person posted, “sitting through a brutal four hour and twenty eight minute five set marathon in hot humid weather just to get completely omitted from the victory speech is an actual tragedy.”
One viewer added, “What about your Girlfriend Numbnuts! What’s she CHOPPED LIVER????”
Ben Shelton & His Girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, Shared a Special Moment Inside Arthur Ashe Stadium
While the 23-year-old didn’t give Rodman a public shoutout, he made sure to find his better half inside the stadium. Cameras captured the couple sharing a sweet embrace following his win over Tiafoe.
During an appearance on Kylie Kelce’s “Not Gonna Lie” podcast last month, Rodman spoke about the scrutiny of being in a public relationship.
“Being in a couple in the public eye is not for the weak,” she told Kelce. “It’s a blessing in so many ways… [but] too many people have too many opinions that they need to speak on. And it’s just like, minda ya business.”
Ben Shelton’s Girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, Embraces Being a Superstar Athlete and a WAG
Rodman, who first met Shelton by sending him a direct message on Instagram, also doesn’t get throttled by the WAG title.
“It’s the best feeling in the world, honestly,” the Olympic gold medalist said. “I think to know we’re both on the grind, running our bodies to the ground, always exhausted, doing what we love, and then to also be able to be a little like a WAG in a sense, it feels so good for us.”
Rodman, daughter of Chicago Bulls legend Dennis Rodman and his third wife, Michelle Maye, was drafted as the NWSL’s second overall pick at age 18. She signed a six-year, $6 million extension with Spirit in January.
Ben Shelton Called Out for Girlfriend Trinity Rodman Omission at US Open