Ben Shelton, Trinity Rodman Reveal How They Support Each Other’s Sports Careers At US Open

NEW YORK — Tennis star Ben Shelton and Olympic soccer gold medalist Trinity Rodman have become one of the most prominent couples in American sports, regularly traveling across the country and around the world to support one another’s respective careers, even as their demanding schedules frequently keep them apart.

Rodman recently detailed how the relationship began during an appearance on Kylie Kelce’s “Not Gonna Lie” podcast, recounting an unlikely first exchange that started over Instagram.

“I said, ‘You’re sick … fire emoji,’” Rodman recalled. “Shelton responded and was like, ‘Yeah, you were sick at the Olympics too.’ Yeah. That happened. He matched the cringe situation. And then I think maybe a week or two later we met in person.”

Rodman, an Olympic gold medalist in soccer, and Shelton, the top-ranked American man on the ATP Tour, first announced their relationship publicly in March 2025, fittingly through Instagram. The two have remained closely connected ever since, frequently appearing at each other’s competitions across their respective sports.

Rodman has built her own decorated career in professional soccer. She was the youngest player ever drafted in National Women’s Soccer League history at the time, at age 18, and led the Washington Spirit to their first NWSL championship as a rookie in 2021. She also helped Team USA capture Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Games.

Shelton, meanwhile, enters this year’s US Open ranked No. 9 in the world and seeded No. 8 in the tournament. He holds seven career ATP titles and a 144-90 career record, and while he has yet to reach a Grand Slam final, he has made multiple major semifinal appearances as he continues building toward his first title at that level.

Despite frequently competing in different cities, or even different continents, at any given point in the year, Shelton and Rodman have found ways to remain closely connected and supportive of each other’s respective careers.

“It’s definitely hard … it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, we don’t get to see each other at all,’” Rodman told USA Today Sports. “We are so good at understanding each other’s schedules and the way we operate and times when we need advice, times when we don’t. So going through that together has been amazing.”

Rodman said maintaining individual identity alongside their relationship has also played a key role in their ability to support one another effectively.

“I think we’re always so good at supporting each other,” Rodman said. “And yeah, just being individuals as well, I think has been huge for us of not getting so blended together.”

Rodman attended Shelton’s opening two matches at this year’s US Open, including his four-set, first-round win over Tallon Griekspoor on Monday and his second-round victory against Hubert Hurkacz on Wednesday, where she wore a shirt reading “I heart my boyfriend” while cheering him on from the stands.

Beyond her US Open appearances, Rodman also made a notable surprise trip to support Shelton at the 2026 Canadian Open, where he went on to win the title for the second consecutive year. Rodman flew to Montreal ahead of Shelton’s fourth-round match immediately after the Washington Spirit’s own match, a 4-3 loss to the North Carolina Courage in Washington, D.C. She described the experience of supporting her boyfriend in person as “the best feeling in the world.”

Reflecting further on that dynamic during her appearance on Kelce’s podcast, Rodman described the particular satisfaction of supporting Shelton while also understanding firsthand the physical demands he faces as a professional athlete.

“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 WAG in a sense, it feels so good for us,” Rodman said. “We do enjoy it a lot because I don’t … look at him and I’m like, ‘He’s an athlete.’ I look at him like that’s my rock. And every time I do something, I just love to be able to look at him and know that we’re on the same page thinking something.”

The support has proven mutual throughout the relationship. When Rodman attended Shelton’s title-winning run at the Stuttgart Open in June, having flown in from Brazil, Shelton publicly credited her presence for his success on the podium following the win.

“I want to thank my girlfriend for flying here from Brazil,” Shelton said at the time. “I won a title at I think every tournament she’s been at this year. … I really appreciate you making the effort.”

Shelton has similarly shown up to support Rodman’s soccer career. He attended the Washington Spirit’s 2-1 win over the Houston Dash on July 3, a match in which Rodman scored two goals, including a game-winning goal in stoppage time. Following that decisive goal, Rodman ran to the stands to share a celebratory kiss with Shelton, a moment that drew significant attention on social media at the time.

The Tennis Channel has previously labeled Shelton and Rodman the most athletic couple in the country, though Rodman expressed some hesitation in fully embracing that title, instead pointing to another prominent pairing in professional sports: the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson and the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo. Rodman also joked that she would be wary of ever competing in the same sport as Shelton, given his competitive nature.

“I would be scared to play the same sport, because I feel like if Ben were to say anything coachable, I would lose my mind,” Rodman said.

As Shelton continues his run at this year’s US Open, with Rodman expected to remain a visible presence in the stands supporting his progress through the tournament, the couple’s relationship continues to serve as a rare example of two elite athletes in different sports finding ways to sustain both their careers and their partnership amid demanding, often overlapping competitive schedules throughout the year.