American tennis star Ben Shelton had plenty to celebrate after clinching the ATP 500 title in Munich with a commanding win over fourth seed Flavio Cobolli. The 23-year-old’s triumph was made even more special as he was joined in the celebrations by his girlfriend, soccer player Trinity Rodman, and his sister Emma Shelton.
Ben Shelton’s Girlfriend Trinity Rodman and Sister Emma Shelton React
Having fallen short against Alexander Zverev in last year’s final, Shelton returned with renewed resolve and turned the tables this time, overcoming world No. 16 Cobolli to seal his maiden Top 20 victory on clay.
Shelton made an emphatic start, breaking Cobolli in the opening game before digging deep to save six break points in his very first service game. Riding that momentum, he surged to a commanding 6–2 win in the first set.
The second set proved tighter, but Shelton held his nerve when it mattered most, recovering from 0-30 at 4–5 on serve before capitalizing on a costly double fault from the fourth seed to snatch the decisive break. He closed out the set 7–5 to seal the title. The 23-year-old also improved his head-to-head record against Cobolli to 4–2.
Shelton, who had already won a clay-court title in Houston in 2024, became the first American since Andre Agassi in 2002 to claim a title above the ATP 250 level on the surface.
Following his title-winning run, Ben Shelton received support from his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, a forward for the Washington Spirit. The soccer player and the tennis star went public with their relationship in March last year. Trinity Rodman later shared a clip from the trophy ceremony on her Instagram story, writing, “Go Benny!!!”
Meanwhile, Ben’s sister Emma re-shared a celebratory Instagram post, featuring him with their father Bryan, who is the American star’s coach.
Ben Shelton Reflected on His BMW Open Campaign and His Team’s Contribution After the Win
Shelton battled through three-set contests against Emilio Nava and João Fonseca but secured straight-set wins over Alexander Blockx and Alex Molčan. After sealing the title, the 23-year-old reflected on his campaign and acknowledged the role of his father and team in the run.
“First of all, most important, I want to thank God. I feel blessed to be playing here, to have the people around me that I do. These experiences on tour are important, special, and I don’t take it for granted. So, like I said, I am grateful and very blessed,” he said.
“I want to thank my team. I got these two guys in my corner. My dad, Turco, they travel the world with me. To have people who dedicate their lives to helping me, assisting me, supporting me, being the part of this team is something I don’t take for granted. I really appreciate you. I love you guys,” he said.
Shelton also gave a nod to his agent Carter for helping him warm up before matches and thanked Taka for his constant support throughout the week.
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“To Carter, my agent, he actually warmed me up for most of my matches this week. I don’t know how many guys on tour can say that the agent can do that. So thanks for being here, Carter. Taka, thanks for all your support. I think that we have a pretty good track record when you come and watch me play. So, I really appreciate you guys,” he said.
With a straight-sets win over Flavio Cobolli, Ben Shelton claimed his fifth career title and second on clay. More importantly, the result sets a strong tone for the remainder of the clay-court swing.
