Trinity Rodman was visibly emotional, wiping away tears, during boyfriend Ben Shelton's post-match speech following his loss to Alexander Zverev in the U.S. Open men's final on Sunday. Rodman wore a shirt supporting Shelton and sat beside his mother in the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Rodman's presence at the final came after a scheduling conflict that saw her play a match for the Washington Spirit against Boston Legacy in Washington D.C. earlier that day. The NWSL game kicked off at 1 p.m. ET, while the men's final began at 2 p.m. ET. Despite the tight turnaround, Rodman made the trip to New York to support Shelton, who was aiming to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Shelton ultimately fell to top seed Zverev in four sets, 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2. Zverev acknowledged Rodman's support during his own victory speech, humorously noting her presence despite having a game of her own.
Rodman and Shelton, who have been publicly together since March 2025, have navigated supporting each other's demanding athletic careers. Shelton expressed his gratitude for Rodman's efforts to be there, highlighting the sacrifices they both make.
"It means everything. I knew she was coming," Shelton said in his post-match press conference. "I knew it was going to be pretty close to impossible to get here, but even just making the effort and trying is insane. She kind of showed up as I was losing, which for her probably sucked."
He added, "We’ve made a lot of sacrifices for each other. We traveled the world to try to support each other when we can. It means a lot, same with my family and friends. So many people have showed up for me and that’s what this is all about."
Rodman has previously shown her support for Shelton during the tournament, famously performing his "dialed in" phone celebration after his quarterfinal victory. She also brought an action figure of Shelton doing the celebration as a good luck charm for that match.