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NEED TO KNOW
- After Trinity Rodman signed a historic contract extension with the Washington Spirit, tennis star Ben Shelton posted her highlight reel to his Instagram
- “Love you and so proud of you,” Shelton wrote to the soccer phenom
- The couple first went public with their relationship in March 2025, less than two weeks after sparking dating rumors on TikTok
Trinity Rodman is staying in D.C. — and Ben Shelton is here for it!
On Thursday, Jan. 22, the soccer star became the highest-paid woman in the sport when she agreed to a landmark contract extension with the Washington Spirit, all of which made Shelton one proud boyfriend.
“Love you and so proud of you,” the tennis star, 23, wrote on his Instagram Stories over a reposted video in which Rodman shared the news.
Shelton, the world No. 7 in men’s singles tennis, took time to share his excitement about Rodman’s re-signing while halfway around the world as he competes in the Australian Open. The former Florida standout will take on Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot on Friday, Jan. 23, in the tournament’s third round.
On Thursday, the soccer forward ended months of speculation about whether she would stay with the team.
“It feels amazing, I’m very happy, I’m very blessed,” Rodman, 23, said after signing her contract. “I think it’s a monumental and game-changing moment right now. I can’t even describe in words what it feels like.”
She added, “Obviously, everyone’s going to have their different thoughts and opinions about it, but I’ve never really cared. So, that doesn’t change anything for me.”
Rodman’s deal, including bonuses, is worth over $2 million a year, ESPN reported.
Lachlan Cunningham/Getty
In a video on Instagram, the athlete, who is the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, posted highlights of her time with the Spirit, and highlighted her own “why.”
“I’ve always had a vision of kind of an idea of what I want my legacy to be and continue to be,” Rodman said. “For me, we’re doing that, with help obviously, and I’m so grateful for that. But yeah, I think this is just opening up opportunities for American girls with dreams, and I’m one and was one of them, and so I’m very grateful about that.”
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Shelton and Rodman went public with their relationship in an Instagram post in March 2025, less than two weeks after sparking dating rumors on TikTok. Rodman also confirmed the news on ESPN’s SportsCenter later that month.
“I’m obviously very happy and hopefully some of the world’s happy,” she said at the time. “It’s in the public eye, so I can’t really do much about that.”