Trinity Rodman was ready to cheer for Ben Shelton at the US Open, but the final ended with an emotional scene for the soccer star. Rodman watched from the stands as her boyfriend battled Alexander Zverev in the biggest match of his career. Wearing a custom black Shelton T-shirt, she clapped throughout the contest before cameras caught her wiping away tears as Shelton delivered an emotional post-match speech.
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For Shelton, the defeat was heartbreaking. The 23-year-old American had a chance to win his first Grand Slam title and become the first American man to lift a major singles trophy since Andy Roddick at Flushing Meadows in 2003. Instead, Zverev won in four sets, 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2.
Trinity Rodman cries after boyfriend Ben Shelton’s tough defeat
Trinity Rodman’s presence in New York was notable because she had her own Washington Spirit commitment earlier in the day. The 24-year-old forward played against Boston in Washington, D.C., at 1 p.m., then made the trip to Queens for the US Open final, which began at 2 p.m. Following Shelton’s defeat, Rodman was seen wiping tears as camera captured her reaction.
The soccer star has followed Shelton throughout his run at the hard-court major and had been in the stands for his semifinal victory over Frances Tiafoe. Her support also carried onto social media. After Shelton reached the final, she posted, “Onto the next,” while celebrating his progress. Rodman also commented on Shelton’s Instagram before the final, writing, “Love you so much.”
Alexander Zverev appears to take shot at Trinity Rodman
Zverev noticed Rodman’s presence too. During his winner’s speech, the German star turned his attention toward Shelton’s girlfriend and appeared to tease her about making it to the final despite having her own soccer game earlier that day.
“Trinity, I thought you had a game today, no? Well done to you as well. You're the lucky charm," Zverev said after he defeated Rodman's boyfriend, Ben Shelton, in four sets.
The remark drew laughter from the crowd, while Rodman appeared to take the joke well. Zverev continued, “You’re the lucky charm, so … not today, but usually.”
Rodman laughed at the comment before acknowledging that Sunday had not gone her way.
Zverev’s win capped a major tournament for the 29-year-old and handed Shelton a painful ending after a breakthrough run. Shelton had been trying to turn his first US Open final appearance into a historic title, while Rodman had spent the tournament backing him from the stands and online.
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