Ben Shelton’s breakthrough moment at the 2025 National Bank Open in Toronto made his girlfriend, U.S. soccer star Trinity Rodman, emotional. Rodman was overcome with emotion as Shelton sealed his place in his first-ever ATP Masters 1000 final.
Trinity Rodman Reacts as Ben Shelton Storms Into Maiden Masters 1000 Final
Shelton, the fourth seed at the Masters 1000 event, has been delivering one of the most dominant runs of his young career. After a first-round bye, the 22-year-old blazed through the draw with victories over Adrian Mannarino, 23rd seed Brandon Nakashima, 13th seed Flavio Cobolli, ninth seed Alex de Minaur, and second seed Taylor Fritz.
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His win over Fritz in the semifinals set the stage for a high-stakes rematch against 11th seed Karen Khachanov. The two last met at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where Shelton emerged victorious in straight sets.
Watching from afar, Rodman showed just how much the moment meant to her. The Washington Spirit forward took to Instagram to post a video of Shelton’s semifinal-winning point. The clip was accompanied by a string of teary-eyed and face-holding-back-tears emojis.
Shelton Opens Up About What Makes Him Happy Following Win Over Fritz
Following the match, Shelton shared his satisfaction with the way his tennis career is developing.
“I’ve seen so many big improvements in my game this week, that’s what I’m most happy about, how I’m executing, how little I’m hesitating, how I’m returning,” Shelton said. “There are a lot of things to be proud about and beating two Top 10 guys back to back is huge for me.”
He also reflected on his opponent, Fritz, noting that he adapted his approach mid-match after recognizing the American’s game strategy. Shelton remarked: “When he’s standing in one corner, he’s one of the best in the world at being behind the ball and hitting it harder and harder every time.”
“I knew I had to keep him moving and I did a great job of that… I felt like I had the ball on a string … I’m just really excited to see myself executing like this, not wondering if the shot is going to go in or out, but expecting it to go in.”
While Shelton’s singles campaign has been the headline grabber, his doubles effort in Toronto also deserves a mention. Teaming up with France’s Arthur Fils, the duo cruised past Nathaniel Lammons/Jackson Withrow, and eighth-seeded pair Hugo Nys and Édouard Roger-Vasselin to reach the quarterfinals, where they lost to fourth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz.
