In the buzzing world of sports and celebrity crossovers, a new romance has set tongues wagging and social media ablaze. On March 18, 2025, Trinity Rodman, the fiery USWNT soccer star, and Ben Shelton, the rising American tennis ace, made their relationship Instagram official, igniting a wave of excitement among fans and peers alike. The pair, both 22, dropped a bombshell with a mirror selfie—Rodman planting a kiss on Shelton’s cheek in an elevator, his grin as wide as the court he dominates. But it was Coco Gauff’s reaction that stole a slice of the spotlight, her playful comment stirring a mix of surprise and delight among followers who’d once speculated about her own ties to Shelton. “Hard launchhhhh,” Gauff wrote under the post, her enthusiasm leaping off the screen, proving that even champions can’t resist a good love story.
The announcement came as a sweet crescendo to weeks of whispers. Earlier in March, Rodman and Shelton had danced around the rumors with flirty TikTok exchanges, their cryptic captions—“T****** wsp with u” from Shelton, and “___wassup w you” from Rodman—teasing fans into a frenzy of dot-connecting. By Monday, the soft launch turned hard, Shelton captioning his Instagram carousel, “I been focused, but I’m steady climbin’, I’m nowhere near my peak.” Rodman chimed in with a coy, “Shooters shoot I guess,” her words a nod to their bold leap into the public eye. The photo showed them in casual cool—Shelton in Loewe jeans and a gray jacket, Rodman rocking denim-on-denim with gold accents—two athletes at ease in their shared spotlight. It’s a match made in sports heaven, blending her Olympic gold pedigree with his Grand Slam potential, and the tennis world couldn’t get enough.
Gauff’s reaction wasn’t just a headline-grabber—it was a moment of camaraderie that underscored her bond with Shelton. The pair have been tight for years, their friendship sparking romance rumors after late-night ice cream runs in Melbourne and a viral high-five miss at the 2024 US Open mixed doubles. “I thought he was dating you,” one fan quipped under Gauff’s comment, echoing a confusion that’s trailed the duo since their on-court chemistry lit up Flushing Meadows. Another chimed in, “I was literally thinking the same!” But a third set the record straight: “She has a [boyfriend],” pointing to Gauff’s rumored beau, Jalen Sera, a non-tennis figure who’s been her rock for over a year. Gauff herself had once laughed off the Shelton speculation, telling a crowd in Australia, “Me, Chris [Eubanks], and Ben, we’ll do escape rooms… the paparazzi cropped Chris out, so he wasn’t too happy about that.” Her “hard launchhhhh” cheer was pure support, a friend hyping a friend, not a rival scorned.
The tennis posse rallied fast. Frances Tiafoe dropped a sly, “We gram now,” with a string of side-eye emojis, while Sloane Stephens echoed Gauff’s vibe with a booming “HARDD LAUNCH!!!!!!” The comments were a love-fest, a who’s-who of American tennis celebrating one of their own. Shelton, fresh off a quarterfinal run at Indian Wells—where Jack Draper halted his charge—has been a force this year, reaching the Australian Open semifinals and climbing to No. 14. Rodman, daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman, has her own laurels: three goals en route to Olympic gold in Paris 2024, a forward for the Washington Spirit who’s redefined her family name. “I been focused,” Shelton’s caption read, but this romance proves he’s climbing more than just the rankings.
For Gauff, the moment was a lighthearted detour from her own Miami Open prep. After a fourth-round exit at Indian Wells to Bencic, she’s itching to reclaim her hard-court mojo in Florida, where she’s seeded No. 3. “I wish I could’ve done better this hard-court season,” she’d mused post-desert, her 9-4 record solid but shy of her US Open-winning spark. Her friendship with Shelton, often mistaken for more, has been a constant—she’s called him “charismatic” and “special,” qualities she now sees shining off-court too. Rodman’s soccer stardom only adds to the allure, a power couple brewing across sports lines that’s got fans dreaming of courtside kisses and stadium cheers.
As Miami looms, where Shelton kicks off against Benjamin Bonzi or a qualifier, the buzz around this romance might just spill into the stands. Will Rodman grace his player box, her soccer swagger meeting his tennis flair? Gauff, meanwhile, watches from the sidelines of this love match, her reaction a bridge between rumor and reality. “Shooters shoot,” indeed—and in this game, Shelton and Rodman have hit the mark, with Gauff and the tennis crew cheering every step.
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