Ben Shelton’s US Open run has come with added spotlight both on court and in the stands, where his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, has been a constant and high-profile presence.
The tennis standout and the United States Women’s National Team forward have quickly emerged as one of sports’ most-watched young couples since making their relationship public in March. By the following month, Rodman was already supporting Shelton from his players’ box in Munich, sitting alongside his father and coach, Bryan Shelton.
On Monday, Rodman — a soccer star in her own right and the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman — was back courtside at Arthur Ashe Stadium, visibly cheering as Shelton powered through his first-round match.
‘Trinity is very much in love with Ben and really loves having him as the man in her life,’ a source told Our News Outlet.
‘Growing up, her brother was the main male figure in her life, and it’s no secret that her relationship with her dad hasn’t always been the easiest.’
Rodman’s strained bond with her father has long been public. Dennis Rodman once broke down while admitting he wished he had ‘been a better father,’ while Trinity later offered a blunt assessment of their relationship, saying: ‘He’s not a dad. Maybe by blood but nothing else.’
Ben Shelton and Trinity Rodman have drawn attention as a rising sports power couple
Rodman and Shelton confirmed their romance in March after previously hinting at their relationship
Rodman has a complicated relationship with her dad, NBA legend Dennis Rodman
Our source continued: ‘Now that she’s with Ben, she sees what a loving and present person he is, and she knows that if they ever have children together, he would be an incredible dad and have such a special relationship with them.
‘She also feels like she’d be a great mom herself, having been raised by such a strong and loving mother. Not that a family is soon for them, but it is definitely realistic because they are so good with each other and for each other.’
The pair have been inseparable ever since going public, with a number of sweet and intimate moments played out in front of the TV cameras for the world to see, as well as across their social media profiles.
‘Right now; they genuinely just love being around each other. They always want to be together, there’s a really healthy energy between them, and he absolutely can’t get enough of her.
‘Their connection feels real, genuine, and, honestly, pretty heartwarming. The way things are going, the people closest to them really believe the sky’s the limit for these two.’
And while TV networks have been criticized on more than one occasion for referring to Rodman as Shelton’s girlfriend despite all her own accomplishments, it is a label she is happy to wear in his world.
‘Trinity is proud to be Ben’s girlfriend and isn’t bothered at all by being introduced that way on the telecast,’ our source said.
‘In her eyes, she’d much rather be recognized as Ben’s girlfriend and a soccer player than simply as a soccer star and Dennis Rodman’s daughter, which often happens.
‘Being connected to Ben isn’t a bad thing, she’s not defined by it of course, but loves him and is happy that people know.’
Rodman was in New York on Monday night to watch Shelton win his first-round match
Rodman has flown across the world supporting Shelton when her schedule allows
Mystery surrounded the early stages of their relationship, as they initially dropped a playful hint as part of a TikTok trend last March then ‘hard launched’ their romance soon afterwards.
Shelton’s fellow tennis star Frances Tiafoe initially tried to take credit for setting the pair up, a claim disputed by both of them as Rodman initially kept details of their meeting shrouded in secrecy.
‘I don’t know if I want everyone to know the story [of how we met], but I can assure you Frances was not the reason we met or got together. I don’t know why he’s taking credit for that,’ Rodman told SportsCenter.
‘Me and Ben can both cut that out. It was solely a me and Ben thing.’
Shelton admitted Rodman was ‘kind of annoyed’ by Tiafoe’s comments, before she later revealed on Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast that she slid into the tennis star’s DMs and made the first move.
‘Everything I do is just embarrassing. I’m really embarrassed,’ Rodman said.
‘I fully committed to this guy that I didn’t even meet yet, for him to stay at my house for the weekend,’ she said. ‘It’s actually crazy, it’s insane, but it worked out.’
Just weeks after their romance went public, Rodman, who was recovering from injury at the time, went viral for gazing lovingly at Shelton while sat courtside at Wimbledon. During the sweet moment, her body language showed the deep emotional understanding they share as two high-level athletes and also lovers.
Rodman’s loving gaze at Shelton went viral when she attended Wimbledon last year
The loved-up couple have shown off their relationship on social media
‘When Ben is playing we can see Trinity doesn’t scene-steal or attention-steal,’ body language expert Judi James told Our News Outlet. ‘As he comes to showboat a little in front of his family box she sits self-diminished small and still with her eyes pinned on his face, tuning in and reading his emotions and needs in that moment.
‘She allows others there to non-verbally converse with him and even to perform the non-verbal ‘strokes’ of approval but she seems to spot he’s in need of some attention from his coach and as she spots this her response shows empathy: her expression becomes serious and her hand touches her cuff in a self-sooth anxiety signal to show she’s read and understood his deeper professional emotions and needs.’
In June this year, Shelton won the Stuttgart Open, with Rodman going above and beyond to fly over and support him. After lifting the trophy, he made a public declaration by calling her his ‘lucky charm’ before they posed for pictures together.
‘The most serious aspect of their public relationship is shown as Ben really lays the relationship on the line in front of his fans after his win in Stuttgart,’ James noted.
‘Trinity stands in her cute “Ben 10” vest, beaming with closed lips to show it is his spotlight not hers, but he adopts an open pose to very clearly let the world know that she is his ‘lucky charm.’
‘This takes gratitude for her appearances at his matches to another level as it would place the reason for his success on her shoulders, and in public.
‘Her smile and nose-wrinkle suggests she is delighted at his open affection, but there is also an eye-dart to hint she’s fully aware of the responsibility he might have just given her in terms of his ongoing success.’
Just a few months earlier, she had seen him win in Dallas, at which point his feelings for Rodman were on full display.
Shelton is hoping for another deep run at this year’s US Open in New York
Rodman and Shelton are both superstars in their own right in their respective careers
‘When he celebrates a win he goes straight to Trinity first,’ James noticed. ‘Throwing his arms out for a hug and she responds by hooking her arm round his neck.
‘She then keeps it real though by pulling back in comedy disgust at his sweat and grabbing a towel. This type of playful banter will keep them feeling like sporting colleagues as well as a romantic couple.’
The gesture was reciprocated when Rodman scored a last-minute winner in the NWSL for Washington Spirit against Houston in July, running straight for the stands to celebrate with Shelton.
While her season is still ongoing, the time has come for her boyfriend to take center stage in New York for the next few weeks, where she wasted no time attending just a day after playing a game of her own.
Last year, she interrupted one of his press conferences, making him visibly uncomfortable as she asked him a jokingly disparaging question about the speed of his serve as Shelton.
James says: ‘The hi-jacked interview scenarios show how the couple retain the blend of being two ambitious, dedicated pro sportspeople at the top of their game and a cute young couple apparently in love.
‘Ben wears a neutral facial expression during the press conference but the minute he hears and sees Trinity the effect is powerful and instinctive. One side of his mouth hikes up in a “soppy” smile and as the smile of delight spreads he has to bring one hand up to hide his face from the room.
‘When he bares his face again we can see it is wreathed in smiles that would show off his emotions, embarrassing him, so he has to rub his nose to re-boot to a more professional state.’
Just over a week later, the tables turned when Shelton was handed the mic by ESPN after he watched Rodman score for Washington Spirit in the NWSL.
‘Trinity’s response is very similar when the boot is on the other foot as she has to face-hide to avoid revealing a besotted smile as she giggles her way through his first questions.
‘Both of them register signals of professional dedication though in the way they both work to re-boot their body language to answer the questions with some respect.
‘Trinity’s dedication is clear when he asks about her team, which is when she folds her arms to show protective allegiance to the squad and manages a more serious answer.’
While their love life is being played out in front of two sporting audiences, their shared experience as athletes at the top of their game only seems to help their bond. It is a bond Shelton hopes will help him make a deep run in this year’s US Open, where he was a semifinalist in 2023.
Our News Outlet has contacted representatives for Rodman and Shelton for comment.
