Ben Shelton spotted supporting girlfriend Trinity Rodman as hilarious fan moment goes viral

Ben Shelton is quietly preparing for a hugely important period in his 2026 season. Poor form on the big stage have left him in a perilous position with a drop in the rankings a possibility ahead of his Canadian Open title defence. However, he was in very good spirits when watching his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, compete in the NWSL and even got some of the spotlight when failing to catch a ball that went into the stands.

Shelton and Rodman have a wealth of sports calibre between them. Shelton's tennis expertise has been showcased on a number of occasions with him confirming himself time and time again as one of the best players in the world, reaching a career high ranking of five.

His other half, the daughter of former basketballer Dennis Rodman, plays at the highest level of women's football. Previously the highest paid player in the NWSL, the dynamic forward is a key component of the Washington Spirit's attack.

She was not on the scoresheet but did provide the crucial assist for Sofia Cantore as they defeated the Denver Summit to re-take top spot.

Shelton was one of the high profile names watching on. Supporting Rodman, he was also joined by fellow tennis players Arthur Fils and Hailey Baptiste to watch proceedings, celebrating wildly when the only goal of the match was converted.

Another scene that occurred in the match was the American number one seeing his opportunity to catch a stray ball that was booted in their area. Both him and Fils went for it but both failed in comedic fashion, Shelton falling back as the duo enjoyed a laugh together following the viral blunder.

That was the perfect chance to Shelton to switch off from tennis, the quiet before the storm that is the North American hardcourt swing.

The 23-year-old will begin at the DC Open with a contest against American qualifier Martin Damm Jr. His form has been patchy in 2026, managing just one quarter-final at Grand Slam or Masters 1000 level at the Australian Open.

Away from the big stage, Shelton has won a trio of tournaments. Most notably, all of them have come on different surfaces as he showcases his variety. Nevertheless, hardcourt is seen as his strongest surface with the chance to get some points on the board on home soil a tantalising thought.

He will need to produce some great tennis for that to occur. He is at risk of losing up to 1000 points at the Canadian Open after winning the title last year, defeating Karen Khachanov for the biggest title of his career.

Shelton will hope first that he can get some momentum under his belt at the DC Open. His last match on court came in a five-set thriller against Otto Virtanen. It went to a tiebreak, in which Shelton missed a match point enroute to being dumped out in what he described as "One of the toughest losses I’ve taken."

Having spent a number of weeks away from the action, it is now time for Shelton to show what he is made of again. He will hope those recent struggles are not going to continue, although there are more concerns being aired after a 6-1 loss in a practice match against the returning Jack Draper. The number two seed in the DC Open, Shelton is one of the favourites to clinch glory, and will be desperate to do so.