Trinity Rodman was sitting in Ben Shelton’s participant field on the US Open on Tuesday when the cameras discovered her.The ESPN commentary that adopted launched her as “Trinity Rodman, often known as Ben Shelton’s girlfriend, and often known as a member of the US girls’s nationwide workforce.” The on-screen graphic was equally organized: “Ben’s girlfriend & USWNT participant.”Rodman is, after all, Shelton’s girlfriend. The 2 tennis and soccer stars made their relationship public in March 2025, after Rodman slid into Shelton’s DMs. Shelton, 23, is considered one of American tennis’s main gamers, a left-handed energy hitter who reached a career-high world No.5 in late 2025 and has already received 4 ATP titles in 2026, together with the Nationwide Financial institution Open two weeks earlier than the US Open.However Rodman has spent the higher a part of her profession changing into recognisable with out him.The 24-year-old is an Olympic gold medallist, an NWSL champion and the highest-paid girls’s footballer on the planet. She can be the daughter of NBA Corridor of Famer Dennis Rodman, one other proven fact that has usually adopted her into introductions of her personal.
Soccer participant Trinity Rodman celebrates after her boyfriend Ben Shelton, of america, received his match in opposition to Hubert Hurkacz, of Poland, through the second spherical of the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photograph/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
The ESPN description prompted a well-known response from followers on-line, notably as a result of there was no scarcity of issues from Rodman’s personal profession that might have been used as an alternative.“Geez… she is a lot greater than Ben’s girlfriend,” one fan wrote.One other put it extra bluntly: “Trin is an Olympic gold medalist, NWSL participant after which Ben’s girlfriend. In that order.”
Rodman’s profession doesn’t want Shelton’s identify hooked up to it
Rodman’s soccer profession started lengthy earlier than she grew to become a fixture in Shelton’s field.The Washington Spirit chosen her No.2 total within the 2021 NWSL Draft when she was 18, making her the youngest participant ever chosen on the time. She received the league’s Rookie of the 12 months award and helped Washington win the NWSL Championship in her first season.Three years later, she produced one of many defining moments of her worldwide profession.Within the 2024 Paris Olympics last, Rodman scored in further time in opposition to Japan as america received girls’s soccer gold for the primary time since 2012. She now has 13 targets in 57 appearances for the USWNT.At membership degree, her worth has grown simply as shortly. Rodman grew to become the primary participant signed below the NWSL’s Excessive Impression Participant rule and agreed a landmark cope with Washington price greater than $1 million per season by way of 2028, making her the highest-paid participant within the league.
FILE – Washington Spirit ahead Trinity Rodman in motion through the second half of an NWSL soccer match in opposition to the Portland Thorns FC, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photograph/Terrance Williams,File)
There’s additionally the query of her surname, which has introduced its personal assumptions.Rodman has spoken overtly about her sophisticated relationship along with her father and rejected the concept that the identify defines her.“He’s not a dad. Perhaps by blood, however nothing else,” she stated on Name Her Daddy.“I like to have my final identify and once I say Rodman, it’s not my dad’s identify, it’s my identify.”She has been much less defensive about being often known as Shelton’s companion. In reality, Rodman has stated she really likes the time period WAG, even whereas acknowledging why some individuals dislike it.“For me, I feel I just like the time period personally as a result of, like I stated earlier than, I really feel like 24/7 I am on in entrance of cameras, and so I feel I take advantage of the time period WAG for me to simplify what I am doing,” she stated on Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce in August.“For me, saying WAG, it is me being like, ‘I am Ben’s girlfriend.’ However I can perceive why it is so hated.”She described having the ability to share that have with Shelton as “the most effective feeling on the planet”, pointing to the truth that each are continually coaching, competing and exhausting themselves doing the sports activities they love.That distinction issues. Rodman selecting to embrace the label just isn’t the identical factor because it being essentially the most helpful solution to introduce her.
This has occurred earlier than
The US Open second was not the primary time Rodman’s identification has been filtered by way of the individuals round her.At Wimbledon in 2025, she was launched throughout considered one of Shelton’s matches as “Tiffany” and had her father talked about in the identical breath.This time, the error was totally different. Her identify was proper, her relationship was actual and her soccer profession was acknowledged. But the order nonetheless stated one thing: Ben’s girlfriend first, USWNT participant second.
Washington Spirit ahead Trinity Rodman shoots as Seattle Reign FC midfielder Samantha Meza, proper, appears to be like on through the first half of an NWSL soccer match, Sunday, Might 10, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photograph/Lindsey Wasson)
There was loads of room for a distinct introduction.Rodman was not merely one other superstar sitting in a tennis participant’s field. She was an Olympic champion watching one other elite American athlete compete at one of many greatest sporting occasions on the planet.She may be Ben Shelton’s girlfriend. She may be Dennis Rodman’s daughter. She will even fortunately name herself a WAG.None of these issues requires her personal achievements to return second.At 24, Trinity Rodman has already constructed a profession substantial sufficient to face by itself. On the US Open, she occurred to be there to help another person.For as soon as, she deserved the highlight while not having to be launched by way of him.