Ben Shelton was surprised by a familiar face during his post-game press conference on Wednesday.
After winning his match against Pablo Carreño Busta at the US Open, he fielded questions from his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman.
“What was up with not serving faster than 135 mph today?” Rodman playfully queried, eliciting a smirk from Shelton, who momentarily covered his face with his hand.
The American tennis player, who secured the win with scores of 6-4, 6-2, and 6-4, quipped to the moderator, “Why were you asking her questions?”
As the press conference wrapped up, Shelton had a lighthearted remark regarding his girlfriend’s impromptu participation.
“Let’s acknowledge the person in the room now,” said the 22-year-old player.
Both Shelton and Rodman, children of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman and members of the US Women’s National Team, made their relationship public in March.
Rodman has been a consistent supporter at various events, including Wimbledon in July.
Her presence at Wimbledon drew attention, especially when Shelton mistakenly referred to her as “Tiffany,” and criticized commentators for referencing her famous father.
“For those who don’t know… I’m Trinity, not Tiffany,” Rodman addressed the mix-up in an Instagram post at that time.
She added, “As for Ben’s match, he’s got his family there for support. My father hasn’t really been part of my life.”
Shelton made it to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, marking a career milestone for him, though he lost to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
“I’ll be back soon… Next stop, New York,” Shelton expressed in a subsequent Instagram post.
As the sixth seed at this year’s US Open, he is set to compete against France’s Adrian Mannarino in the third round, aiming for his first Grand Slam title.
