Ben Shelton didn’t just survive his last match — he pulled off a great escape. Just a day after saving three match points against Borna Gojo, the American brought a much stronger game to the BMW Open. He beat two-time runner-up Botic Van de Zandschulp 7-6(1), 6-3 to book his place in the quarterfinals. The second seed is now charging ahead in Munich with some serious momentum. With his stellar performances, Shelton is already building a strong fan base. Ever since he made headlines at the 2023 US Open — becoming the youngest American man to reach the semifinals since 1992 — eyes have been glued to him. His Instagram following? 900k and counting. Speaking of social media, the 22-year-old has been soaking in the Munich love this week.
An Instagram fan page called Loevik & Sons teamed up with the BMW Open’s official account to post a fun little video. It featured a board titled “Who will win the BMW Open?” with a mic hanging above it. Fans walked up and gave their picks. Early in the clip, the pro-Shelton squad came in strong. Four fans stepped forward and called it — Ben Shelton for the win. But then came the Alexander Zverev wave. Fourteen fans picked the hometown favorite to take the trophy. There was a lone vote for Ugo Humbert, but the video was really a two-man show: Team Zverev vs. Team Shelton.
And the American tennis star proved just how much the fans love him. On April 17th, he shared an Instagram story that was bound to warm a lot of hearts. In the video, a crowd is seen cheering for him outside the BMW Open. Among them, one young fan stood out. The kid held up a board filled with Shelton’s pictures and a bold message written across: “Let’s Go Ben.” That moment, caught on camera and shared on Instagram, was a small but sweet reminder of how far Shelton’s reach has grown.
Speaking of fans, the 22-year-old was asked recently who his biggest supporters are. In an interview with the ATP Tour, he said, “Probably one of my parents. My mom or my dad. I think actions speak louder than words.”
But parents aren’t the only ones cheering. Shelton’s also got some major star power in his corner. Enter Trinity Rodman — soccer player and now Shelton’s biggest cheerleader.
Trinity Rodman turns into the ultimate cheerleader for beau Ben Shelton
Shelton and Rodman confirmed they were dating on March 17, 2025. It happened in classic Gen Z style: an elevator photo on Instagram, with Rodman kissing Shelton on the cheek. Before that, the two had dropped a few hints on TikTok, posting videos that nodded to each other, but nothing official until the IG drop.
That soft-launch turned into a full-blown cheer squad during Shelton’s match against Van de Zandschulp. After his big win, fans online were buzzing — and so was Trinity. She took to her Instagram stories, reposting a match highlight from the ATP Tour with the caption: “Insane .”
That’s not all. A few hours later, she reposted another video of the American tennis star — this time, from his recent shoot with Thorne Health, a supplement brand. The brand had shared a reel of him looking sharp and athletic for a new campaign. Trinity’s response? “Ur kidding, right? .” That’s peak proud-girlfriend energy right there.
Now, he’s got another big test ahead. In the quarterfinals, Shelton will face Italian youngster Luciano Darderi. Darderi earned his spot with a gritty comeback win over Miomir Kecmanovic, showing some serious fight. Ben Shelton is cruising through Munich with big energy and even bigger support. Can he win his first title of the season here?
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