US tennis sensation Ben Shelton has admitted that making time for his relationship with soccer star girlfriend Trinity Rodman comes with its challenges.
Rodman, a USWNT star, was a near-permanent fixture in the stands for Shelton’s run to the final of the US Open earlier this month, even making a mad dash from her Washington Spirit game to see him lose to champion Alexander Zverev.
However, the Grand Slam finalist has now revealed that it is tough for the sporting power couple to continuously make time for one another.
‘It is really difficult,’ Shelton told US Weekly. ‘I think what a lot of people don’t see is when we actually do have time or a couple of days off, we’re so exhausted that it’s tough to do anything. It is tough to make time.’
He added: ‘Sometimes I leave these tournaments and I’m a bit of a zombie. I’m not the most fun person to be around. But we make a lot of sacrifices for our sport. I’d say both of us are chasing things for our sport. We’re not where we want to be yet, we’re not in our primes. So this is kind of crunch time.
‘This is going to be the hardest, most grueling time in our relationship, from my perspective. None of it is easy. But being able to have someone to lean on who’s such an elite athlete and doing things at a really high level as well, it helps in so many ways.’
Ben Shelton has admitted that making time for his relationship with Trinity Rodman is tough
Rodman, a USWNT star, was a near-permanent fixture in the stands for Shelton’s US Open run
Shelton was beaten 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 by Germany’s Zverev after becoming the first black American man to reach the US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972.
The 23-year-old was supported by Rodman throughout the tournament with the American soccer player turning up to his matches at every stage of his run to the final.
She missed most of the action of the final at Flushing Meadows as her own sporting demands took priority.
Rodman and the Spirit faced the Boston Legacy earlier in the day on September 13, ultimately suffering a 3-0 defeat. That match kicked off at 1pm ET – an hour before the US Open final – with Rodman named in the Spirit starting XI.
However, Rodman, the daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman, left the capital almost immediately after the final whistle to catch the final moments of her tennis beau’s showdown.
She was captured wearing a Ben Shelton t-shirt and crying inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in the wake of her boyfriend’s loss.
The American suffered defeat to Alexander Zverev in the final of the Grand Slam this month
The soccer star was seen crying inside Arthur Ashe in the wake of her boyfriend’s loss
‘She grinded a ridiculous amount to show up for me,’ Shelton gushed. ‘She must have flown back and forth six or seven times during the tournament. Probably more, I’m probably under-shooting it. But it was so cool to share so many of those memories together with my whole family, also with her.’
Earlier in the tournament, the 24-year-old Rodman had been in Shelton’s box for his quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz, which finished at 3:33am.
Despite the latest finish in US Open history, the forward made it to Washington Spirit training later that day, driving five hours to arrive in time for the 11am session.
Rodman has been dating Shelton – the No 8 seed – for more than a year, with the couple going public in early 2025.
