Trinity Rodman experienced a whirlwind of emotions as she quickly made her way to the U.S. Open men’s final.
Her boyfriend, Ben Shelton, faced off against top seed Alexander Zverev and ultimately lost the match 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday. The weight of the moment seemed to rest heavily on Shelton, and Rodman was visibly affected by it.
Dressed in a shirt featuring Shelton’s image, she was spotted in the stands, wiping away tears while sitting beside Shelton’s mother during his trophy presentation speech.
Rodman unfortunately missed most of the four-set match because she was earlier engaged in a game for the Washington Spirit against Boston Legacy in Washington D.C. that began at 1 p.m.
The men’s final had its start time set for 2 p.m.
The Spirit had previously confirmed her participation in the game, making it clear she wouldn’t skip out on her match for Shelton’s big moment. After the Spirit’s 3-0 loss, she hurried over to support him.
Interestingly, Zverev even acknowledged Rodman during his victory speech, where he humorously noted, “Trinity, I thought you had a game today, no? Well done to you as well. You’re the lucky charm.” He added, “Not today, but usually.”
Rodman has been balancing her commitments in the NWSL while supporting Shelton throughout the tennis season. The couple has been together publicly since March 2025.
During Shelton’s post-match press conference, he spoke about Rodman’s effort to be there for him. He expressed that her presence meant the world to him, noting, “I knew she was coming… it was pretty close to impossible to get here, but even just making the effort and trying is insane. She kind of showed up as I was losing, which for her probably sucked.”
He reflected on the sacrifices they’ve both made for each other, saying, “It means a lot… so many people have showed up for me, and that’s what this is all about. Being able to share these moments with my family and friends.”
The young athlete was on the verge of becoming the first American man to clinch a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick’s 2003 U.S. Open win.
Shelton and Rodman shared some lighter moments during the tournament, including when she mimicked his signature phone celebration after his thrilling five-set victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
There was even a light-hearted moment where she appeared jokingly annoyed when Shelton mentioned his best friend and sister were getting a day off work, leaving her to exclaim, “What about me?”
In a fun twist, Rodman also brought along an action figure of Shelton performing his phone celebration as a sort of good luck charm for his quarterfinal match.
