Ben Shelton is currently in a relationship with American professional soccer player Trinity Rodman. He recently opened up about what he has learned while dating Rodman and revealed that being with another athlete has taught him to be more “selfless”.
Shelton and Rodman made their relationship public in March 2025. Rodman plays as a forward for the U.S. national team and the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Her accomplishments include winning the NWSL Championship, being named NWSL Rookie of the Year, and earning a gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, among others.
Ben Shelton Opens Up About His Relationship With His Girlfriend Trinity Rodman
In a recent vlog on his YouTube channel, Shelton discussed his relationship with Rodman. He mentioned that during the 2025 off-season, while taking a break from tennis, he spent “two months straight” with her. He explained that being with someone who is also a professional athlete and understands everything involved creates a “different” type of relationship.
“I guess this off-season was less about taking a break away from tennis. But it was nice cuz my girlfriend was there the whole time. This was the first time that we really got to spend like two months straight together. Being with somebody who’s also a pro athlete and understands everything that goes into it, it’s a different type of relationship,” Shelton said.
The former world No. 5 stated that the life of a professional athlete can often lead to a “self-centered” mindset. However, being in a relationship with another athlete has taught him to be “selfless”.
“I haven’t been on tour that long, but I haven’t had a significant other since being on tour. And now we get to kind of support each other. I think that being a pro athlete can cause you to be pretty self-centered. Being in a relationship with another pro athlete teaches you to kind of be selfless,” he added.
On the tennis side of things, Shelton began his 2026 season at the ASB Classic, where he won his opening match against Francisco Comesaña before losing to Sebastián Báez in the quarterfinals.
Shelton is currently in Melbourne, competing at the 2026 Australian Open. He is seeded eighth and started his campaign by defeating Ugo Humbert in the first round with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-6(5).
Who Will Ben Shelton Face at the 2026 Australian Open 2R?
Following his victory over Humbert in the first round of the 2026 Australian Open, Shelton is set to face qualifier Dane Sweeny in the second round of the tournament.
Sweeny defeated Andrea Pellegrino, Jérôme Kym, and Stefano Travaglia to secure his spot in the main draw of the Melbourne Major. Once in the main draw, the Aussie advanced to the second round against Shelton by triumphing over Gaël Monfils in the first round.
Shelton and Sweeny have never faced each other on the ATP Tour, making their upcoming match in the second round of the Australian Open a first-time encounter. The winner will advance to the third round to compete against either wild card Rinky Hijikata or 30th seed Valentin Vacherot.
