Rodman makes late entrance but Shelton's lucky charm misses mark

NEW YORK, Sept 13 - Trinity Rodman pulled off a logistical miracle on Sunday, making the 200-mile trip from a soccer pitch in Washington to Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, only to arrive in time to watch boyfriend Ben Shelton lose the U.S. Open final to Alexander Zverev.

The U.S. women's national soccer team star was playing for the Washington Spirit against Boston Legacy at almost the same time as Shelton's first Grand Slam final, making her appearance in the stands seem close to impossible.

But after the Spirit's 3-0 loss, Rodman made the trip north and slipped into Shelton's box before the end of his 6-3 7-6(2) 5-7 6-2 defeat, sporting a shirt emblazoned with his face.

"I knew it was going to be pretty close to impossible to get here, but even just making the effort and trying is insane,” Shelton told reporters. "She kind of showed up as I was losing, which for her probably sucked."

Even Zverev could not resist a quip about the timing during his on-court victory speech.

"Trinity, I thought you had a game today,” the German joked. "You're the lucky charm ... not today, but usually."

The couple, who went public with their relationship in March 2025, have become one of the most visible young pairings in American sports, with both regularly travelling to support each other.

Rodman has been a familiar face at Shelton's tournaments, including his title runs in Dallas and Stuttgart this year, while Shelton has attended Washington Spirit matches.

Rodman had also attended several of Shelton's matches during his run at Flushing Meadows, including his quarter-final victory over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, which ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in U.S. Open history.

"We've made a lot of sacrifices for each other,” Shelton said. "We've travelled the world to try to support each other when we can." REUTERS