American tennis star Ben Shelton recently opened up about his girlfriend Trinity Rodman’s reaction to the surprisingly reserved atmosphere at professional tennis tournaments.
The World No. 12 shared that Rodman, a standout for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, was “surprised” by how little interaction there seemed to be among players at events she attended.
Ben Shelton and Trinity Rodman Took Their Romance Public Earlier This Year
Rodman, known for her outgoing presence on the soccer field, got her first real taste of the tennis world earlier this spring. After confirming their relationship in March 2025 through a sweet Instagram post and a playful TikTok tease, Rodman was spotted supporting Shelton at multiple European events.
That included sitting in his box during the semifinals of the BMW Open in Munich and joining him later in Madrid, where the couple spent time together during the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
Trinity Rodman in the Shelton box today 👀
🇺🇸🇺🇸#BMWOpen pic.twitter.com/nV5b8wd1Re
— NewmarkTennis (@NewmarkTennis) April 19, 2025
In an interview with Tennis Channel, Shelton was asked how it felt having Rodman courtside at several of his recent matches.
“It’s been pretty cool,” Shelton said. “It’s obviously a lot different atmosphere when you’re on a team and all the people are kind of like your best friends.”
He explained that Rodman was struck by how self-contained the tennis environment appeared to be: “She’s come to the tennis events and kind of been like, ‘Oh, why did none of the girls talk to each other or why does it seem like no one is really saying anything to each other or kind of just doing their own thing or being within their team?’”
Shelton admitted that her observation highlighted something he’d grown accustomed to but hadn’t thought much about. “I’ve been like, ‘Yeah, I guess it’s different than normal sports because all the people you’re hanging out with are also your competitors.’”
He also contrasted the seriousness of most interactions with his own friendship with Frances Tiafoe. Shelton continued, “Then on the other end of it, you have me and Fo [Frances Tiafoe] cracking jokes all the time. So, it’s a funny dynamic. But yeah, being able to go to some of her sports or soccer games and her come to some of mine, it’s been cool to see the different crossovers within the sports.”
A Look Into Shelton’s Grass-Court Campaign at the BOSS Open
Shelton landed in Stuttgart after concluding his clay-court swing at the Roland Garros, where he lost in a four-set thriller to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz. In Stuttgart, Shelton kicked off his grass-court swing at the BOSS Open, where he is seeded third.
The American tennis star received a bye into the second round, where he defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6(4), 7-5. He advanced to the quarterfinals, where he will take on eighth seed Jiri Lehecka.
