Ben Shelton and Trinity Rodman have agreed to let each other ‘do one thing’ in their relationship.
Trinity Rodman recently shared the one special thing she and her boyfriend, Ben Shelton, give each other in their relationship: time to feel whatever they’re going through.
At the US Open, Shelton pulled off a big surprise by beating tournament favorite Carlos Alcaraz in a tough quarter-final match. Watching proudly from the stands was his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman – a soccer star for Washington Spirit and daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman. She opened up about how they support each other through the ups and downs of their sports careers.
Both are top athletes – Shelton is one of the best tennis players in the world, and Rodman is an Olympic champion – so they understand just how challenging professional sports can be. It’s not just the physical side that’s hard, but the mental part too.
Rodman told 7News DC, “It’s about understanding each other and handling the mental side. Physically, you can push through small injuries, but if your mind isn’t right, it’s much tougher.”
To help each other, they’ve agreed to let each other feel all the emotions that come with competing, whether good or bad, instead of ignoring them to avoid upsetting their partner. Sometimes, one of them might have a rough week and just needs space to process it.
“We’re really good at working through that together,” Rodman said. “That’s been the biggest help in how we support each other.”
Shelton agreed on the Atlanta Hawks’ podcast, saying, “There’s a lot that goes on mentally, and that’s what we help each other with the most.”
As Shelton gets ready for one of the biggest matches of his career – the US Open semi-final against fellow American Frances Tiafoe – he talked about how dating an Olympic gold medalist like Rodman has helped him handle the pressure.
“I’m just learning from her,” Shelton said. “She’s a big-time star, and I’m quietly supporting her. It’s been great having each other’s backs.”
In a chat with Town & Country, he added it’s “cool to be with someone who goes through many of the same challenges.”
Shelton will play Tiafoe at Arthur Ashe Stadium starting at midnight on Saturday, September 12, with the winner set to face either top seed Alexander Zverev or Karen Khachanov in the final.