Trinity Rodman is nowhere to be seen at boyfriend Ben Shelton's US Open final after heartbreaking schedule clash

By DANIEL MATTHEWS, US SENIOR SPORTS WRITER

Trinity Rodman made a late dash to be in New York for the end of Ben Shelton's US Open final - only to be left in tears after her boyfriend's loss to Alexander Zverev.

Shelton was chasing a first Grand Slam title but his hopes of ending America's 23-year wait for a man to win the US Open were dashed by the No 1 seed.

Rodman has been a regular in her boyfriend's box during this year's US Open but the soccer star had a match of her own on Sunday afternoon. She missed most of the action as Zverev beat Shelton 6-3 7-6 5-7 6-2. At the end, however, cameras caught Rodman crying inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in the wake of her boyfriend's loss.

She was wearing a Ben Shelton t-shirt and she caught the attention of Zverev following the match. 'Trinity, I thought you had a game today?' Zverev said in his on-court interview.

Rodman, who this year became the highest-paid player in women's soccer, plays for the NWSL's Washington Spirit and they lost to Boston Legacy on Sunday afternoon. That match kicked off at 1pm ET – an hour before the US Open final – with Rodman named in the Spirit starting XI.

Trinity Rodman made a late dash to be in New York for the end of Ben Shelton's US Open final

The Washington Spirit star was in NWSL action against Boston Legacy on Sunday

Shelton was beaten by No 1 seed Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final at Flushing Meadows

'It means everything [that she came],' Shelton said afterwards. 'I knew it was going to be pretty close to impossible to get here, but even just making the effort and trying is insane. She kind of showed up as I was losing, which for her probably sucked.

'But we've made a lot of sacrifices for each other. We've traveled the world to try to support each other when we can. It means a lot.'

He added: 'So many people have showed up for me, and that's what this is all about, being able to share these moments, share these two weeks with my best friends, my family, people I love. That's why I'm out here doing this. That's why I enjoy it so much. That's who I want to get over the line for.'

With Rodman's game finishing shortly after 3pm, there was always a slim chance she could rush to New York in time to catch the end of the final. Flushing Meadows sits only a short drive from LaGuardia Airport, with direct flights from Washington DC taking around an hour.

Earlier this week, the 24-year-old daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman was in Shelton's box for his quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz, which finished at 3:33am.

Despite the latest finish in US Open history, the forward made it to Washington Spirit training later that day, driving five hours to arrive in time for the 11am session.

Rodman has been dating Shelton - the No 8 seed - for more than a year, with the couple going public in early 2025.