Alexander Zverev was called out for a ‘disrespectful’ remark to Trinity Rodman after beating Ben Shelton to win the US Open.
Alexander Zverev faced some criticism for a comment he made about Ben Shelton’s girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, after winning the US Open final.
Zverev, who also made it to the Wimbledon final in July, picked up his second Grand Slam title of the year by beating Shelton in four sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The German won 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2. Shelton’s girlfriend, USWNT soccer player Trinity Rodman, was there cheering him on from the stands.
Rodman, who is the daughter of NBA star Dennis Rodman, traveled about 200 miles to be at the match. She even played a game for her team, Washington Spirit, earlier that day before heading to the stadium. During the match, she showed support by wearing a t-shirt with Shelton’s face and name.
After the game, Shelton praised her effort, saying, “Even just making the effort and trying is insane.” When Zverev spoke to the crowd after his win, he made a light-hearted joke about Rodman, saying, “Trinity, I thought you had a game today, you’re the lucky charm… not today, but usually.” Rodman smiled at the comment, but some fans didn’t think it was very respectful.
On social media, some people called the comment “disrespectful” and “wild,” saying it was unusual to address your opponent’s girlfriend after a big final like that.
Rodman and Shelton have been together since early 2025, after she reached out to him on Instagram.
Zverev looked a bit surprised when he won the match point but was soon handed the trophy by five-time US Open champion Jimmy Connors. He started the year without a Grand Slam title and had found it hard to win finals, but now he’s a two-time Grand Slam winner and could become world No.1.
On top of that, Zverev earned the biggest prize money in tennis history at this US Open. The total prize money for 2026 increased by 20% to $108 million. Zverev took home $5.5 million, while Shelton earned $2.8 million for his first Grand Slam final appearance. The same pay structure applied to the women’s final, where Elena Rybakina won her first US Open by beating Aryna Sabalenka.
Before this, Zverev’s biggest prize was $3.3 million for winning the French Open earlier this year. Jannik Sinner earned $4.9 million for winning Wimbledon, and Carlos Alcaraz got $3 million for the Australian Open win.
The next Grand Slam event is the Australian Open, which will be held at Melbourne Park in January.