Trinity Rodman pulled off a remarkable dash from Washington to New York to watch boyfriend Ben Shelton in the closing stages of the US Open final on Sunday.
The United States football star faced a major scheduling clash after her NWSL club Washington Spirit hosted Boston Legacy FC at 1pm, just an hour before Shelton began his first Grand Slam final against Alexander Zverev at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
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Rodman played in the Spirit’s 3-0 defeat before immediately turning her attention to making the journey of more than 300 kilometres to New York.
Despite the tight turnaround, the 24-year-old managed to reach Flushing Meadows before the final was over and appeared in Shelton’s player box wearing a shirt bearing his face.
Her arrival came late in the match as Shelton attempted to fight back against Zverev, who eventually secured a 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 victory to win his first US Open title.
“I knew she was coming. 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 said.
“She kind of showed up as I was losing, which for her probably sucked.”
Zverev also acknowledged Rodman’s late arrival during the trophy presentation, joking about how she had managed to make it to New York after playing earlier in the day.
“Trinity, I thought you had a game today,” Zverev said.
“You’re the lucky charm… not today, but usually.”
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Rodman had been a regular presence during Shelton’s run at Flushing Meadows, including his quarter-final victory over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz that finished at 3:33am, the latest finish in US Open history.
She was back with the Spirit for training in Virginia just hours after that match.
Shelton’s defeat ended his bid to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open, but his run marked his first appearance in a major final.
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