Trinity Rodman was sitting in Ben Shelton’s participant field on the US Open on Tuesday when the cameras discovered her.The ESPN commentary that adopted launched her as “Trinity Rodman, often known as Ben Shelton’s girlfriend, and often known as a member of the US girls’s nationwide staff.” The on-screen graphic was equally organized: “Ben’s girlfriend & USWNT participant.”Rodman is, in fact, Shelton’s girlfriend. The 2 tennis and soccer stars made their relationship public in March 2025, after Rodman slid into Shelton’s DMs. Shelton, 23, is considered one of American tennis’s main gamers, a left-handed energy hitter who reached a career-high world No.5 in late 2025 and has already gained 4 ATP titles in 2026, together with the Nationwide Financial institution Open two weeks earlier than the US Open.However Rodman has spent the higher a part of her profession changing into recognisable with out him.The 24-year-old is an Olympic gold medallist, an NWSL champion and the highest-paid girls’s footballer on the earth. She can also be the daughter of NBA Corridor of Famer Dennis Rodman, one other proven fact that has usually adopted her into introductions of her personal.
Soccer participant Trinity Rodman celebrates after her boyfriend Ben Shelton, of america, gained his match towards Hubert Hurkacz, of Poland, throughout the second spherical of the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photograph/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
The ESPN description prompted a well-recognized response from followers on-line, notably as a result of there was no scarcity of issues from Rodman’s personal profession that might have been used as a substitute.“Geez… she is a lot greater than Ben’s girlfriend,” one fan wrote.One other put it extra bluntly: “Trin is an Olympic gold medalist, NWSL participant after which Ben’s girlfriend. In that order.”
Rodman’s profession doesn’t want Shelton’s identify connected to it
Rodman’s soccer profession started lengthy earlier than she turned a fixture in Shelton’s field.The Washington Spirit chosen her No.2 total within the 2021 NWSL Draft when she was 18, making her the youngest participant ever chosen on the time. She gained the league’s Rookie of the Yr award and helped Washington win the NWSL Championship in her first season.Three years later, she produced one of many defining moments of her worldwide profession.Within the 2024 Paris Olympics ultimate, Rodman scored in additional time towards Japan as america gained girls’s soccer gold for the primary time since 2012. She now has 13 objectives in 57 appearances for the USWNT.At membership stage, her worth has grown simply as shortly. Rodman turned the primary participant signed below the NWSL’s Excessive Affect Participant rule and agreed a landmark take care of Washington value greater than $1 million per season by 2028, making her the highest-paid participant within the league.
FILE – Washington Spirit ahead Trinity Rodman in motion throughout the second half of an NWSL soccer match towards the Portland Thorns FC, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photograph/Terrance Williams,File)
There’s additionally the query of her surname, which has introduced its personal assumptions.Rodman has spoken overtly about her difficult relationship together with her father and rejected the concept that the identify defines her.“He’s not a dad. Perhaps by blood, however nothing else,” she mentioned on Name Her Daddy.“I like to have my final identify and after I say Rodman, it’s not my dad’s identify, it’s my identify.”She has been much less defensive about being referred to as Shelton’s associate. In reality, Rodman has mentioned she really likes the time period WAG, even whereas acknowledging why some folks dislike it.“For me, I believe I just like the time period personally as a result of, like I mentioned earlier than, I really feel like 24/7 I am on in entrance of cameras, and so I believe I take advantage of the time period WAG for me to simplify what I am doing,” she mentioned on Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce in August.“For me, saying WAG, it is me being like, ‘I am Ben’s girlfriend.’ However I can perceive why it is so hated.”She described having the ability to share that have with Shelton as “the most effective feeling on the earth”, pointing to the truth that each are always coaching, competing and exhausting themselves doing the sports activities they love.That distinction issues. Rodman selecting to embrace the label is just not the identical factor because it being essentially the most helpful method to introduce her.
This has occurred earlier than
The US Open second was not the primary time Rodman’s id has been filtered by the folks round her.At Wimbledon in 2025, she was launched throughout considered one of Shelton’s matches as “Tiffany” and had her father talked about in the identical breath.This time, the error was completely different. Her identify was proper, her relationship was actual and her soccer profession was acknowledged. But the order nonetheless mentioned one thing: Ben’s girlfriend first, USWNT participant second.
Washington Spirit ahead Trinity Rodman shoots as Seattle Reign FC midfielder Samantha Meza, proper, seems to be on throughout the first half of an NWSL soccer match, Sunday, Could 10, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photograph/Lindsey Wasson)
There was loads of room for a unique introduction.Rodman was not merely one other movie star sitting in a tennis participant’s field. She was an Olympic champion watching one other elite American athlete compete at one of many largest sporting occasions on the earth.She might be Ben Shelton’s girlfriend. She might be Dennis Rodman’s daughter. She will even fortunately name herself a WAG.None of these issues requires her personal achievements to return second.At 24, Trinity Rodman has already constructed a profession substantial sufficient to face by itself. On the US Open, she occurred to be there to help another person.For as soon as, she deserved the highlight without having to be launched by him.
