Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman will miss Sunday’s US Open final between her boyfriend, Ben Shelton, and Alexander Zverev, opting instead to play in a high-stakes NWSL match against the Boston Legacy FC.
According to The Athletic’s Meg Linehan, Rodman intends to play the Matchweek 21 fixture against Legacy as the second-seeded Spirit (43 points) chase down league leaders Gotham F.C. (48 points) for the Shield. With under 10 games left in the 30-match season, Washington faces a textbook must-win scenario. Boston is a 15th-place expansion team sitting on just 20 points, and dropping points to a struggling lower-tier side could completely derail the Spirit’s championship momentum.
“Trinity Rodman won’t miss this weekend’s crucial Washington Spirit match against the Boston Legacy,” Linehan wrote.
“She isn’t skipping a game that holds implications for first place in the NWSL to attend the U.S. Open men’s singles tennis final,” added the soccer writer.
Ben Shelton to Miss ‘Lucky Charm’
Rodman’s absence could prove to be a devastating blow to Shelton, who has won a career-best four ATP titles this season with his girlfriend watching from the stands. That trend has continued at this year’s US Open, where Rodman has attended all six of his initial matches, including Friday’s semifinal win against Frances Tiafoe.
After winning in Stuttgart in June, Shelton gave a special shout-out to his girlfriend.
“I won a title at I think every tournament she’s been at this year,” Shelton said while referring to the daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman.
“You’re definitely the good luck charm, so I really appreciate you making the effort,” he added while looking towards Rodman in the stands.
To Rodman’s credit, she has juggled her duties as a soccer star and a partner to near perfection. Despite her grueling Spirit schedule, she attended two of Shelton’s US Open matches less than 24 hours after her own — even showing up for morning practice after his quarterfinal thriller against Carlos Alcaraz ended at 3:33 a.m.
Trinity Rodman to Skip US Open Final
After Rodman showed up to practice on Wednesday, the Spirit confirmed that she will play in Sunday’s tie against the Legacy, per The Athletic.
“The Spirit confirmed seven hours later that she’d be in uniform on Sunday, and that she was at the team’s training facility in Virginia, reporting at 9 on Wednesday morning. Rodman even shared the video for proof,” wrote Linehan.
Alas, Shelton will have to make history without his “lucky charm” this Sunday. As he looks to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick in 2003, the 23-year-old hopes a partisan crowd will carry him to his first major title.
“Ima need you guys on Sunday to bring the energy,” he urged the Arthur Ashe crowd after his win over four-set win over Tiafoe in the semifinal.
“We’re going for it here. Ima leave it all on the court. I hope you guys come and back me.”
Trinity Rodman Status for Ben Shelton US Open Final Revealed