American tennis star Ben Shelton dropped some big relationship news on the final slide of his latest Instagram photo carousel.
Shelton, 22, posted a picture of Trinity Rodman, a star for the United States women’s national soccer team, kissing his cheek, effectively hard launching their relationship.
“I been focused, but I’m steady climbin’, I’m nowhere near my peak,” Shelton captioned the post, which are lyrics from Lil Baby and EST Gee’s song “Back and Forth.”
Rodman, 22, commented on the post, ““Shooters shoot I guess 🤭👀.”
Some of Shelton’s tennis peers celebrated the news in the comment section, including Coco Gauff, who wrote, “”Hard launchhhhh!!”
Fellow men’s American tennis star Frances Tiafoe commented, “We gram now 👀👀👀👀.”
Romance rumors followed Shelton and Gauff, 21, in 2024 when they were pictured out in public together. However, Shelton shot them down and explained it was really a group hang with American tennis player Chris Eubanks.
“Yeah, me Chris and Coco, we’ll do escape rooms, sometimes we’ll go on a dare,” Shelton said during an on-court interview at the Australian Open in January. “We might be retired after this week because the paparazzi are taking pictures of us and cropping Chris out of the photo, so Chris wasn’t too happy about that.”
Ben Shelton CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images
Gauff has been rumored to be dating boyfriend Jalen Sera since 2023.
Shelton is currently ranked No. 14 in the world. He reached the semifinals of the 2023 U.S. Open and 2025 Australian Open in January.
Rodman joined the USWNT in 2022 and won a gold medal with the team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she scored three goals. She is also a forward for the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Trinity Rodman Kristy Sparow/Getty Images
The relationship news comes on the heels of Rodman’s public feud with her father, former NBA star Dennis Rodman. During a December 2024 interview on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Trinity said her father is “not a dad.”
Dennis Rodman and his youngest daughter, Trinity, have had ups and downs over the years. Rodman and ex-wife Michelle Moyer welcomed Trinity in 2002, one year after the birth of son DJ. (Rodman also shares eldest daughter Alexis with ex-wife Annie Bakes.) More than 20 years later, Trinity declared on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast […]
“Maybe by blood, but nothing else,” Trinity added.
Dennis responded to the interview hours later, writing via Instagram, “Sorry I wasn’t the Dad you wanted me to be but either way I still tried and I still Try and Never will Stop. I will keep Trying even when you’re being told as an adult not to respond to my phone calls.”
After Dennis’ response, Trinity said she was no longer interested in pursuing a relationship with him.
“A joke. The response alone. And the attention,” Trinity, 22, wrote via her Instagram Story. “Wiping my hands with it. I’m done. Thank you 👍.”
