Ben Shelton's girlfriend is also a sportsperson with incredibly famous dad that few people knew about

Ben Shelton clinched an incredible victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the early hours of Wednesday to advance into the US Open semi-finals.

Shelton had never beaten a top-three player in 17 attempts before the tournament, ending that streak with an epic, five-set triumph to derail Alcaraz's hopes of defending the US Open title on his return to action.

A groundbreaking win for the US native sets up a mouth-watering semi-final against Frances Tiafoe, who came from two sets down to beat Alex Michelsen at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday.

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Ben Shelton's girlfriend is Trinity Rodman

Shelton's magnificent performance against the Spaniard equalled his best Grand Slam performance, previously reaching the semi-finals of the US Open in 2023 and the Australian Open in 2025.

It was Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner who ended his hopes of winning a major in those events, and the 23-year-old will arguably have no better chance of breaking his Grand Slam duck.

The rising star has every chance of becoming the first American to win the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2003. Away from tennis, meanwhile, Shelton has been in a high-profile relationship with one of the most popular soccer players, Trinity Rodman, since March 2025.

Rodman plays as a forward for the Washington Spirit and signed a new three-year contract with the National Women's Soccer League side in January, making her the highest-paid female footballer in the world according to her agent.

She has also made 57 appearances for the USWNT, scoring 13 times, but it isn't the only reason she is known, as her public success is complicated by family history with father, NBA legend Dennis Rodman.

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Why Trinity Rodman is estranged from Dennis Rodman

The father-daughter relationship was a big topic in December 2024 when Trinity spoke about her childhood on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast. She said that Dennis was "not a dad" by much, "maybe by blood, but nothing else."

Rodman's childhood was impacted by her father's lifestyle, recalling that he was often partying and felt it was not healthy for her and her older brother, DJ, who now plays in the NBA G League.

Her mother, Michelle Moyer, eventually divorced Dennis in 2012 and attempted to shield the kids from the situation, with the 24-year-old recalling that her family had times when they were very low on cash and remembered living in a motel when she was a kid.

Following her appearance on the podcast, Dennis responded to his daughter on Instagram, saying he is sorry he "wasn't the dad you wanted me to be" and said he tried to be a father and will keep trying.

"I will try even when it's difficult and if it takes a long time. I'm always here and tell you all the time rather it's your voice or voicemail how proud I am. I always had one wish and it was I wish my kids would call me and come see me. Hopefully one day I can get that," he wrote in the post.

As of September 2026, Rodman is estranged from her father and is rarely in contact with him.