Trinity Rodman starts for Spirit ahead of Ben Shelton's US Open final

With her boyfriend Ben Shelton set to play the US Open final later in the afternoon, Trinity Rodman was named in the starting lineup for the Washington Spirit on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Rodman has managed to attend several of Shelton’s matches during the US Open in Queens, New York, including a quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz and a semifinal win over Frances Tiafoe on Friday, Sept. 11.

But the scheduling gods presented a major conflict on Sunday.

The Spirit play the Boston Legacy at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. The game at Audi Field in Washington D.C. begins just an hour before the men’s US Open final, where Shelton will face top seed Alexander Zverev in a match scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.

Rodman, who leads the Spirit in goals with 10 this season, was never going to miss her team’s match against the Legacy. The Spirit are currently second in the NWSL table, and can move to within two points for first-place Gotham FC with win over Boston.

Trinity Rodman was the second overall pick in the 2021 NWSL draft.

<1 / 11

Trinity Rodman was the second overall pick in the 2021 NWSL draft.

<2 / 11

Trinity Rodman won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

<3 / 11

Trinity Rodman scored three goals at the 2024 Olympics.

<4 / 11

Rodman was drafted at age 18, the youngest to be taken in NWSL history.

<5 / 11

Rodman matches a first-round match at the 2026 US Open in New York.

<6 / 11

Rodman attends Day 4 of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

<7 / 11

Rodman during a first-round match at the US Open.

<8 / 11

Rodman attends Day 4 of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

<9 / 11

Rodman looks on after Ben Shelton beat Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s singles quarterfinal.

<10 / 11

Rodman celebrates boyfriend Ben Shelton’s victory over Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the second round.

<11 / 11

Rodman in the stands during Ben Sheltoin’s quarter-final match against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.

It seems unlikely but it could theoretically be possible for Rodman to see at least some of the final.

Shelton’s quarterfinal with Alcaraz lasted 4 hours and 28 minutes. If the final goes that long, it would end around 6:30 p.m. ET – or three and a half hours after the Spirit and Legacy match ends.

A flight from D.C. to New York only takes around an hour, so an unlikely but possible combination of circumstances (a long US Open final, a private jet, luck with weather and traffic) could see Rodman make it to Flushing Meadows before the final ends.