*This content was translated by AI.
As Ben Shelton, a rising new star in American tennis, advanced to his first-ever US Open final, the passionate support from his girlfriend and U.S. women's soccer star Trinity Rodman has also become a hot topic.
On the 12th (Korea time), Shelton defeated fellow American Frances Tiafoe 3-1 (4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5) in the men's singles semifinals of the 2026 US Open held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.
With this victory, Shelton reached a major championship final for the first time in his career. In the final, he will face world No. 1 and top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany.
Shelton's momentum at this tournament has been extraordinary. Earlier in the quarterfinals, he pulled off an upset by defeating Carlos Alcaraz, who boasts seven major titles, after a grueling five-set battle. He then went on to defeat Tiafoe in the semifinals, capturing all the expectations of American tennis fans.
If Shelton wins the final against Zverev on the 13th, he will become the first American man to claim a major singles title since Andy Rodger topped the US Open in 2003 — a span of 23 years.
Alongside Shelton's remarkable run, attention has also turned to his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman.
Trinity Rodman is not merely the girlfriend of a famous sports star. She is a key forward for the U.S. Yeo Ja-chuk-gu (CEO) team and a top star for the Washington Spirit in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Notably, she contributed to the United States' gold medal victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She is also widely known as the daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman.
Trinity Rodman visited the venue in person during this US Open to support her boyfriend. She appeared not only in the quarterfinals against Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) but also in the semifinals against Frances Tiafoe (U.S.). Images of her watching Shelton's matches from the stands were even featured on the official US Open website.
U.S. media outlet US Weekly reported, "Tennis star Ben Shelton has stepped onto the US Open final stage for the first time in his career, and his girlfriend Trinity Rodman was happier than anyone."
It further added, "Trinity Rodman visited the stadium in person during the US Open semifinals to cheer on Shelton."
Shelton and Trinity Rodman have been publicly dating since March 2025.
Their romance drew significant attention in the U.S. from the moment it was first revealed. Shelton previously commented on his public relationship with Trinity Rodman, saying, "I thought people would talk about it to some extent, but I didn't expect it to become such a huge sensation that it would turn the internet upside down."
At this tournament, Trinity Rodman's support has been a major force behind Shelton's remarkable surge.
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*This content was translated by AI.
