Ben Shelton should have been battling for a spot in the latter stages of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships. However, a shocking first-round exit dashed the American’s hopes of making a deep run at the grass-court Major.
While the early exit was disappointing, it did give Shelton the chance to show his support for his girlfriend, soccer star Trinity Rodman, as she continued her NWSL season with the Washington Spirit.
Trinity Rodman Celebrates with Ben Shelton After Heroics For Washington Spirit
On Friday, July 3, the Washington Spirit hosted the Houston Dash at Audi Field for a blockbuster showdown. After a goalless first half, Rodman snatched a 1-0 lead for the Spirit, finishing brilliantly after an assist from Leicy Santos in the 50th minute. However, it wasn’t enough to seal the win as Houston’s Kate Faasse found the back of the net in the 89th minute.
Refusing to settle for a draw, Rodman scored a spectacular goal in the final minutes of stoppage time to secure 3 points for the team, which propelled the Spirit to the second spot in the league standings.
After scoring her second goal, the 24-year-old rushed to celebrate with Shelton, who was cheering enthusiastically on the sidelines, with the couple sharing a sweet kiss. The American was able to attend the match because he suffered an unexpected 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(8), 6-2, 7-6(9) loss to Otto Virtanen in his opening match at Wimbledon.
Trinity Rodman ran straight to Ben Shelton after scoring a stoppage-time winner 💞 pic.twitter.com/V5B0ifLXsE
— espnW (@espnW) July 4, 2026
Speaking to Victory Plus after her heroics, Rodman admitted that she had mixed feelings about Shelton’s presence at the game. Although she was happy that he witnessed her brace, she would have liked for him to still be competing at the grass-court Major.
“Obviously it’s bittersweet. I wish he wasn’t here but I’m obviously happy whenever he’s able to come and support me and I get to spend time with him. I love that that little amount of time that he’s able to see me that I can put goals in the back of the net. So, I’m happy about that,” Rodman said.
Rodman herself often makes the effort to support the world No. 5 in person whenever her schedule allows. After Shelton triumphed at the BOSS Open earlier this season, he thanked his girlfriend for traveling all the way from Brazil to cheer him on in Stuttgart, affectionately referring to her as his “lucky charm.”
“I want to thank my girlfriend for flying here from Brazil. I won a title at I think every tournament that she’s been at this year, maybe not in Auckland, but that doesn’t count. You’re definitely the lucky charm, so I really appreciate you making the effort,” he said.
After taking a brief break following his disappointing Wimbledon run, Ben Shelton will be determined to redeem himself during the North American hardcourt swing, which he has described as the “best part of the season.”
