Ben Shelton could have some extra support as he takes on João Fonseca at the 2026 Canadian Open. The American is defending his title in Montréal, and his girlfriend, US soccer star Trinity Rodman, has seemingly traveled to the city without informing him ahead of his much-anticipated fourth-round clash on Sunday, August 9.
Rodman shared a clip of her surprise visit, capturing Shelton’s disbelief as she wished him a happy match day.
Trinity Rodman Surprises Ben Shelton at the Canadian Open
Shelton is currently in the midst of his title defense in Montréal. A year ago, when the tournament was held in Toronto, the American captured his maiden Masters 1000 title, defeating the likes of Adrian Mannarino, Brandon Nakashima, Flavio Cobolli, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, and Karen Khachanov along the way.
This year, Shelton has reached the fourth round with wins over Jenson Brooksby and Zizou Bergs, setting up a clash against Fonseca for a place in the quarterfinals. Ahead of the matchup, Shelton answered an unexpected knock at his hotel room door and was left completely stunned when he saw Rodman standing outside. The soccer star captured the hilarious moment on camera.
“Surprised his [expletive]. Happy matchday in Montréal @benshelton,” she wrote on her Instagram story, adding, “He thought I just slept in.”
they are so cute 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/ThX0b24YK5
— cam 🇯🇲 (@cammyreborn) August 9, 2026
Rodman, who appeared to have accompanied Shelton to Montréal at the start of his campaign, made a trip back to Washington, D.C., for the Washington Spirit’s NWSL clash against the North Carolina Courage on August 8. Although she found the net, the team ultimately fell to a 4-3 defeat.
Earlier this year, Rodman discussed the unique benefits that come with dating a fellow professional athlete. “Understanding each other and just the mental aspect of it. I think it’s extremely mental and obviously physical, but the mental, I think, is harder to control. You can power through little nicks and injuries, but if your mind’s not right, it’s harder to push through that,” she told ABC7 News.
“I think we do a really good job at keeping each other very happy, obviously. And then just taking what we have and feeling what we need to feel, because there are those weeks where it’s like you’re sad and you feel like you can’t be, but in reality, it’s okay. Had a hard week; you feel it; move on. And we’re really good at understanding and working with each other through that. So I would say that was the biggest help being with him and how we move forward.”
Shelton notably supported Trinity Rodman during her home games while he competed at the DC Open in Washington, D.C., last week. The American, who lost in the quarterfinal, extended his stay to cheer on his partner.
On the tennis side, Ben Shelton’s 2026 season has been a mixed bag. He has won three titles in Dallas, Munich, and Halle but holds a 29-12 win-loss record. The American would hope to find greater consistency in Montréal as he builds toward the Cincinnati Open and US Open.
