Dennis Rodman’s daughter, Trinity, recently hard-launched her new relationship with Ben Shelton. Trinity shared a cute picture of the pair out together in public, seemingly solidifying their status with the Instagram post.
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Trinity is a star on her own and has made a career for herself as a forward for the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League. However, Shelton has an extensive athletic background. Here, we’ll explore what the 22-year-old is beyond the boyfriend of an NBA Hall of Famer’s daughter.
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Ben Shelton had a successful collegiate career
Shelton emerged as a college tennis star with the Florida Gators. He helped win the school its first team championship at the NCAA Tournament in 2021. By his next season, Shelton was a nationwide tennis sensation.
Shelton dominated in his sophomore season en route to a 37-5 singles record. He claimed the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Championships in the fall, winning every match without losing a set. Shelton also played a key role in helping Florida defend their SEC title and secure the SEC Tournament Championship.
By the end of the season, he had triumphed in the 2022 NCAA Singles Championship against August Holmgren and finished as the top-ranked player in the nation. Shelton was also honored as both SEC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year in what was a magical collegiate career.
Shelton turned pro after his dominance with the Gators
Shelton made his ATP Tour debut at 19 years old at the Atlanta Open as a wildcard. He was able to win his first match by defeating Ramkumar Ramanathan in the opening round but lost his next match to No. 2 seed John Isner in three sets.
Despite Shelton’s rise as a young tennis star, he has yet to win his first title. However, he has been able to make his mark through numerous close competitions with the world’s best players.
At the 2023 US Open Shelton made it to his first Grand Slam semifinal, where he lost in straight sets to second seed and eventual champion Novak Djokovic. More recently, Shelton was able to create some buzz around his performance at the 2025 Australian Open.
Shelton made it past the first week, securing victories over fellow American Brandon Nakashima in straight sets in the first round, Pablo Carreño Busta in the second, and Lorenzo Musetti in the third. Shelton made it to the tournament’s semifinals before he was defeated by defending champion Jannik Sinner in three sets.
Tennis runs in Shelton’s family
Tennis has always been an integral part of Ben Shelton’s life, as his father, Bryan was a former professional player and former coach for the Florida Gators while his mother, Lisa was also a highly touted junior player.
Ben originally didn’t have much interest in the sport, though, only deciding to start playing at 11 years old. However, it didn’t take him long to become great at the sport. His father soon admitted that Ben was much better than he was at that age and reached the professional level far more quickly than he did.
Ben credited his father for his support as a full-time coach. Even though Bryan left the Gators, he still coaches his son to this day.
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How did Ben and Trinity meet?
Not much is known about how Ben Shelton and Trinity Rodman met. Apart from the duo’s viral TikTok exchange earlier this month, there isn’t much evidence that they’ve spent time together before.
But with their relationship out in the open now, it’s clear the pair were already close to dating before the public ever knew.
