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Did Ben Shelton's girlfriend Trinity Rodman predict U.S. Open injury?
USA's Ben Shelton. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Did Ben Shelton's girlfriend Trinity Rodman predict U.S. Open injury?

By Sai Mohan  |  Last updated Aug 30, 2025 9:41 AM ET

In an unfortunate turn of events, World No. 6 Ben Shelton had to retire with a shoulder injury during his third-round match against Adrian Mannarino at the U.S. Open on Friday. 

The walkover marked Shelton's first-ever medical retirement in his 178-match ATP career, ending his hopes of becoming the first American man to win the U.S. Open since Andy Roddick in 2003. 

After a teary-eyed Shelton was forced to retire, he told reporters that he had never experienced such a degree of pain in his career. 

"Usually I'll play through anything and just find a way," he said, via ATP Tour. "And whether it's sickness or injury, if I can stay out there, I can stay out there. I've never felt anything like this before, so that was kind of tough, I guess the uncertainty."

The American entered the match with a 14-2 record in this summer's hard-court swing and was widely expected to reach the semifinals or, at the very least, the quarterfinals, given his recent form. Although the untimely injury may have robbed him of a maiden major title, Shelton vowed to bounce back from the "minor setback" in quick time.

"I was playing really well, I was in form, a lot of confidence.... but like I said, it's been a great summer, a lot of things to be thankful for."

Did his girlfriend predict injury?

It's unknown how and when Shelton suffered the injury, although some speculate that he may have been hurt when he tumbled to the ground after winning an epic set point to clinch the third. The southpaw routinely complained about shoulder pain at the start of the fourth set and even took a medical timeout before retiring. 

One wonders if Shelton's girlfriend, USWNT star Trinity Rodman, was aware of his troublesome shoulder. 

After Shelton beat Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round, Rodman appeared at the news conference and grilled her boyfriend about his serve, wondering why he wasn't hitting the 140mph mark. 

"How did it feel to not being able to serve faster than 135 [mph] today?" Rodman asked Shelton, who, in response, blamed the cold weather for not being able to "serve bigger" and hit his desired spots on the court. 

Even before Rodman's unusual question, some analysts wondered why Shelton, whose left-handed serve is among the most powerful in tennis, didn't crank up the speed of his service game. During Friday's match, Shelton did reach 140 mph with an ace in the first set, but was seen clutching his shoulder several times afterward.

Perhaps Rodman knew something others didn't.

The U.S. Open withdrawal notwithstanding, Shelton can still end the season on a high note by winning the ATP Finals. He is on track to qualify for the year-ending event after narrowly missing out last year. 

Sai Mohan
Muck Rack

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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