Trinity Rodman Makes Quick Trip to US Open to Cheer on Boyfriend Ben Shelton

Less than 36 hours after taking the field for the Washington Spirit, Trinity Rodman traded the soccer pitch for Arthur Ashe Stadium to support Ben Shelton in his US Open opener.

August 31, 2026; New York, United States; Trinity Rodman, NWSL soccer player and girlfriend of Ben Shelton of the U.S. in the stands during his first round match against Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Trinity Rodman had a pretty good excuse if she wanted to watch boyfriend Ben Shelton's US Open opener from the couch.

Instead, she made the trip to New York.

One day after taking the field for the Washington Spirit in Washington, D.C., the USWNT star was sitting inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night as Shelton opened his 2026 US Open against Tallon Griekspoor.

Rodman, 24, was spotted smiling and laughing from the stands in a colorful Polo Ralph Lauren rugby shirt, and at one point flashed a peace sign toward photographers.

The quick turnaround made the appearance all the better.

Rodman had played Sunday afternoon at Audi Field, where the Spirit beat Bay FC 1-0. She nearly scored herself just before halftime, beating a defender before sending a shot off the crossbar. Paige Metayer converted the rebound for what proved to be the game's only goal.

By Monday night, Rodman had swapped roles from the athlete being watched to the one doing the watching.

Trinity Rodman Cheers on Ben Shelton at the US Open

Shelton certainly made his girlfriend work for the happy ending.

The eighth-seeded American stumbled badly out of the gate against Griekspoor, dropping the opening set 6-1 after committing 14 unforced errors.

He responded emphatically.

Shelton flipped the score in the second set with a 6-1 win of his own, took a tight third-set tiebreak and then pulled away in the fourth to secure a 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2 victory and a place in the second round.

Rodman was there for the roller coaster, adding another chapter to what has become a familiar sight at Shelton's matches.

The two athletes went public with their relationship in March 2025 and have increasingly shown up for one another while juggling two professional sports schedules.

Rodman celebrated Shelton from the stands at the Mubadala Citi DC Open earlier this summer, even breaking out his signature phone celebration after one of his wins.

Getting to New York this time required a considerably tighter turnaround.

Ben Shelton and Trinity Rodman Keep Finding Ways to Show Up

Their schedules don't exactly make date nights easy.

Rodman is in the middle of the NWSL season with Washington, while Shelton is beginning a two-week run at the final Grand Slam of the tennis calendar. Yet the couple has continued to find openings wherever the schedule allows.

Rodman previously acknowledged just how unpredictable those plans can be.

“I feel like I find out two days before,” she told the New York Post in August when asked whether she would make it to Shelton's US Open matches. “It's kind of last minute.”

This one came together.

And Rodman arrived in New York after doing considerably more than watching from afar herself. Sunday's win kept the Spirit second in the NWSL standings, while her near-goal played a direct role in securing three points.

Less than two days later, it was Shelton's turn to advance.

He will face Hubert Hurkacz in the second round, giving Rodman another match to squeeze onto an already crowded calendar.