Washington Spirit soccer star Trinity Rodman was in the stands at Flushing Meadows on Monday night to support her boyfriend, eighth seed Ben Shelton, as he fought back to win his first-round match at the US Open in New York.
Rodman, 24, travelled to New York just one night after playing for her National Women's Soccer League team in Washington, watching American contender Shelton overcome unseeded Dutch opponent Tallon Griekspoor.
Shelton, 23, endured a difficult start to the tournament, dropping the opening set 6-1. However, he turned the match around by taking the second set by the same 6-1 tally, winning a third-set tiebreak, and closing out the fourth set 6-2 to advance.
Rodman was spotted sitting in the stands alongside a friend, wearing a colorful Polo rugby shirt. During the match, the soccer star shared laughs and at one point flashed a peace sign to photographers in the crowd.
US Open comeback and season goals
Shelton enters the 2026 US Open as the eighth seed in the men's singles draw. The annual hard-court tournament in New York is the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the professional tennis calendar.
While Shelton aims for a deep run in New York, Rodman is enjoying a dominant campaign with the Spirit, who currently sit in second place in the NWSL standings. If all goes according to plan, Shelton will be watching her play for an NWSL championship this November.
A romance started on social media
The sports power couple have been dating for the past year and a half. Speaking during a recent interview on Kylie Kelce's podcast 'Not Gonna Lie', Rodman revealed that she initiated their relationship by making the first move on Shelton.
"Everything I do is just embarrassing. I'm really embarrassed," Rodman said on the podcast. "I said 'You're sick, fire emoji,' that's it.. It worked, he responded within 10 minutes, so I win."
Rodman added that Shelton's response was equally awkward, but the exchange led to a successful first meeting. "He matched the cringe situation, and then I think a week or two later we met in person," she said.
Record contract and return to fitness
Rodman is the daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman and has established herself as one of the premier forwards in American soccer since joining the Washington Spirit, who play in the NWSL, the top division of women's professional soccer in the United States.
Her performances in Washington recently earned her a record three-year contract extension worth $1 million annually. According to her agent, Mike Senkowski of Upper 90 Sports Group, the deal makes her the highest-paid player in league history and the top-earning women's soccer player worldwide.
Rodman played in Washington's 1-0 win over Bay FC on Sunday before making her trip to New York. Although she did not score in that victory, she has remained healthy following injury struggles in recent years, recording 10 goals and five assists across 22 games this season to rank fifth in both categories league-wide.
Speaking to ESPN about her health and modified play style, Rodman expressed pride in her consistent availability on the pitch. "I'm still trying as hard as I can not to throw my body around the way I used to," she told ESPN. "But I'm really happy with not only the success I've had and the goals I've scored, just my availability."
"I've played almost every single minute this season. So just to be able to flip that from barely playing last season to then coming in this season and being able to be on the field all the time, I think I'm just really happy. And I'm just keeping my body right so I can stay on the field," she added. "But yeah, I am very happy with the new and improved version of myself. I'm the same Trin, just improved little parts of my game."
