The tennis world watched in shock as rising American star Ben Shelton’s promising US Open run came to a crushing halt. The 22-year-old was in the best form of his career when an unexpected injury ended his hopes of reaching new heights at the home tournament.
However, his girlfriend Trinity Rodman’s heartfelt message truly captured the emotions surrounding this devastating moment.
How Did Trinity Rodman Support Ben Shelton After His Devastating US Open Exit?
Shelton faced the hardest moment of his tennis career on Friday when he was forced to retire from his third-round match against Adrian Mannarino. The sixth seed competed well in what many saw as a potential breakthrough tournament for the American.
Rodman, the USWNT star who has been by Shelton’s side throughout his journey, took to Instagram to share her unwavering support. The soccer player posted a touching message on her story featuring a photo of Shelton on court. “You are strength and dedication. I love you and you’ll be back stronger,” she wrote, adding three red heart emojis to emphasize her steadfast belief in his resilience.
After his retirement, Shelton spoke with remarkable grace about his situation during the post-match interview. “I got a lot to be grateful for. Been pretty fortunate in my life. Blessings, talents, a lot of things God’s given me,” he said.
MORE: Ben Shelton Opens Up About ‘God’s Blessings’ After Tearful US Open Goodbye Due to Injury
The American refused to dwell on the setback, adding, “You won’t hear me over here pouting about how bad things are with the summer that I’ve had, the things that I’ve been able to do in this sport in a short amount of time.”
Ben Shelton after being forced to retire from his match against Mannarino at U.S. Open:
“It hurts. But you won’t hear me pouting over here about how bad things are. I have a lot of blessings. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/KtgzIu34S8
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 29, 2025
Rodman has been a constant presence at Shelton’s matches this summer. Just days before his injury, she made headlines by asking him a playful question during his post-match press conference. “How did it feel not being able to serve faster than 135 today?” she had teased after his second-round victory over Pablo Carreño Busta, showcasing the couple’s lighthearted dynamic.
What Happened During Ben Shelton’s Third Round Match Against Adrian Mannarino?
The match against Mannarino was shaping up to be another classic Shelton performance. He won the first set 6-3 before the experienced Frenchman fought back to take the second set 6-3. Shelton regained control in the third set, winning it 6-4 in dramatic fashion after a spectacular point that saw him tumble to the court.
It was during that fall that disaster struck. Shelton landed awkwardly on his left arm while stretching for a return, setting the stage for what would become a heartbreaking end to his tournament. The injury became apparent early in the fourth set when he began clutching his shoulder and telling his coaching box, “I did something to my shoulder. I don’t know what it is.”
Despite taking a medical timeout and attempting to shorten points by rushing the net, Shelton couldn’t continue. After Mannarino won the fourth set 6-4, the American retired from the match. It marked the first time in his 178-match professional career that he had withdrawn from a game.
Ben Shelton was forced to retire for the first time in 178 career matches.
He will be back, no doubt about that 👊 pic.twitter.com/dlm5Kajlbb
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2025
The injury came at particularly cruel timing for Shelton, who was having his best season. He had recently won his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto and was ranked sixth globally.
The retirement dashed hopes of a potential quarterfinal clash with Carlos Alcaraz and ended American dreams of a first men’s Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick in 2003.
