‘OMG’: Tennis star ‘hard launches’ relationship with legend’s daughter

The sporting world has a new power couple after a US tennis star went public with his relationship with another famous athlete.

The world has another sporting power couple after American tennis star Ben Shelton went public with his relationship with champion soccer player Trinity Rodman.

Shelton posted a photo to Instagram on Tuesday of the pair looking cosy in an elevator together, and was quickly inundated with comments about the couple’s “hard launch”.

“I been focused, but I’m steady climbin’, I’m nowhere near my peak,” Shelton captioned his photo dump.

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Rodman commented: “Shooters shoot I guess” with a smiling face and the eyes emoji.

2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff said: “Hard launchhhhh!!”

Fellow tennis player Frances Tiafoe commented: “We gram now” with several eyes emojis.

Another follower commented: “The hard launch OMG”.

Tennis guru Bastien Fachian wrote on X: “Ben Shelton goes Instagram official with USWNT soccer superstar Trinity Rodman.

“Objectively a direct entry into the top 10 best-looking sports couples in the world.”

Shelton, 22, is the World No. 17 — he made the semi-finals of this year’s Australian Open and last week lost to eventual champion Jack Draper in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells.

Ben Shelton and Trinity Rodman made it Insta official. Photo: Instagram.

Ben Shelton is a rising star of world tennis. Picture: Mark Stewart

The lefthander burst onto the scene with a run to the 2023 US Open semi-finals and has emerged as a rising star of American tennis thanks to his big serve, forehand and personality on and off court.

Rodman, also 22, plays as forward for the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States women’s national team.

She was a member of the US team that won the gold medal at last year’s Paris Olympics — the fifth time the American women had won the event.

Rodman’s Washington Spirit defeated the Orlando Pride in the NWSL Challenge Cup earlier this month.

Trinity Rodman plays for the USA women’s national soccer team. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

She won Olympic gold last year in Paris. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)

In December, the footballer opened up on her strained relationship with her father, five-time NBA champion Dennis Rodman.

Trinity was a guest on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast — entitled, “The Truth About My Family” — and revealed her difficult upbringing because Rodman’s partying lifestyle with “random b–hes” wasn’t a suitable environment for her to live in.

“We had an Expedition and we kind of lived in that for a little bit,” Trinity told host Alex Cooper, who mentioned that some might assume money wasn’t an issue for her growing up. “We tried to live with him but he’s having parties 24/7, he is bringing random b–ches in,” Trinity said.

“He loves the spotlight. He loves the cameras.”

Rodman was known for his wild partying lifestyle — including his whirlwind marriage to model Carmen Electra at A Little Chapel of Flowers in Las Vegas that lasted just a few months.

Trinity’s mother is Michelle Moyer, Rodman’s third wife. Moyer filed for divorce in 2004 and it officially went through in 2012.

The Chicago Bulls great has two other children.

Trinity went on to recall the emotional moment she and Rodman shared when he surprised her at a Spirit victory during an NWSL playoff game in November 2021.

The USWNT forward explained that it wasn’t a happy reunion like the public had thought.

Trinity went on to recall the emotional moment she and Rodman shared when he surprised her at a Spirit victory during an NWSL playoff game in November 2021.

The USWNT forward explained that it wasn’t a happy reunion like the public had thought.

“I lost hope in ever getting him back, I answer the phone now for my conscience to be like, ‘He needed to hear my voice’ before anything happens. That’s why I answer the phone, not for me. He’s not a dad maybe by blood but nothing else.”

Trinity explained that she hadn’t spoken about her father in depth because she wanted to protect his image — but she admitted it became difficult to stay silent because of her pent-up anger.

“We never want to make him look bad, and that is at the cost of kind of holding it in a lot,” she said. “I guess it’s just like the anger that I haven’t really been able to let out is difficult for me.”

Rodman made history with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.

He was famously married to Carmen Electra for a brief period.

Rodman responded, writing on social media: “Sorry I wasn’t the Dad you wanted me to be but either way I still tried and I still Try and Never will Stop,”, including a video that showed photos of them through the years.

“I will keep trying even when you’re being told as an adult not to respond to my phone calls. “I will try even when it’s difficult and if it takes a long time.

“I’m always here and tell you all the time (even if it’s over voicemail) … how proud I am.

“I always had one wish and it was I wish my kids would call me and come see me.

“Hopefully one day I can get that. I’m here and I’m still trying pick up the phone you have my number, You see me calling, I’m still here Dennis RODMAN - Dad.

“FYI: I watch you play All the time (actually flew in to watch you play and was told not to show up because who I was with instead and me just wanting to support you.

“So I watched you from my hotel balcony just to make everybody happy. I love All My Kids,” Rodman concluded, adding the hashtags, “untold’ and “stories”.

Originally published as ‘OMG’: Tennis star ‘hard launches’ relationship with legend’s daughter