Ben Shelton’s girlfriend skips his match for a WTA star date night

Live: Paris Masters Open Live : Ben Shelton vs Arthur Rinderknech Live updates

Arthur Rinderknech defeated Ben Shelton in the Round of 16 at the 2026 Rolex Paris Masters.

The match ended in straight tiebreak sets, 7-6, 7-6.

Shelton is the world No. 4 and was the third seed in Paris.

He had received a first-round bye as a top seed.

His first match of the tournament was a dominant 6-3, 6-4 win over Cameron Norrie.

That second-round win took just over an hour.

But in the third round, Rinderknech proved too strong.

The first set was tight, with neither player able to break serve.

Rinderknech edged the tiebreak to take it 7-6.

The second set followed the exact same pattern.

Another tiebreak. Another 7-6 win for the Frenchman.

The match lasted 108 minutes total.

With this win, Rinderknech now holds a 2-0 career record against Shelton.

Both wins came in identical two-tiebreak scorelines.

The first was at Queen's in 2025.

Rinderknech advances to the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters.

Shelton's early exit comes on a night when his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, was out in Washington D.C.

Rodman is a forward for the Washington Spirit in the NWSL.

She attended the Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks game at Capital One Arena.

She was joined by WTA player Hailey Baptiste.

Baptiste is a D.C. native.

She turned 25 on November 3.

Rodman described their outing as a "birthday week" celebration on her Instagram Story.

The Wizards lost to the Hawks, 120-105.

This is not the first crossover between these circles.

Earlier this year, during the Mubadala DC Open, Baptiste joined Shelton and French player Arthur Fils at a Washington Spirit match.

In that match, Rodman set up Sofia Cantore's goal in a 1-0 Spirit win.

Baptiste has not competed since May 2026.

Her left knee gave way during a second-round match against Wang Xiyu at the French Open.

She left the court in a wheelchair.

Her agent confirmed injuries to both the ACL and meniscus in her left knee.

She had surgery in New York.

She was ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Shelton's biggest off-court news this week came before he hit a ball in Paris.

On Sunday, he confirmed that Juan Carlos Ferrero will join his coaching team for the 2027 season.

Ferrero will work alongside Shelton's father, Bryan Shelton.

Bryan Shelton has coached Ben since his junior days and through two seasons at the University of Florida.

Ferrero guided Carlos Alcaraz to six Grand Slam titles and 24 ATP titles.

Alcaraz and Ferrero split in December 2025.

Following his second-round win in Paris, Shelton explained why he chose Ferrero.

"I think he is one of the best coaches in the world," Shelton said.

"What he did with Carlos, I thought, was outstanding, and he's also a guy who has had a lot of success on clay."

Shelton's loss to Rinderknech means his Paris Masters run ends earlier than expected.

The American was looking to build momentum heading into the ATP Finals.

His ranking at world No. 4 puts him in contention for the season-ending event.

But this early exit in Paris will not help his cause.

Rinderknech, ranked outside the top 50, played the match of his tournament so far.

His serve was unbreakable across both sets.

Shelton could not find a way through.

The two tiebreaks were decided by the smallest of margins.

In the first tiebreak, Rinderknech won 7-3.

In the second, he won 7-4.

Shelton's powerful lefty serve, usually a weapon, was neutralized.

He faced no break points, but he also created none.

The match was a serve-and-return battle decided by a few points.

Rinderknech won those points.

For Shelton, the focus now shifts to his next tournament.

He will likely head to the ATP Finals in Turin, if he qualifies.

The top eight players in the world qualify for that event.

Shelton is currently fourth in the Race to Turin.

His Paris result will not drop him out of qualification contention.

But it does miss an opportunity to gain ranking points.

The Paris Masters is the last ATP Masters 1000 event of the year.

Winning it would have given Shelton a big points boost.

Instead, he leaves with third-round points.

The coaching announcement with Ferrero is a long-term move.

Ferrero will not join Shelton's team until 2027.

That means Shelton will finish 2026 with his father Bryan as his primary coach.

The Ferrero hire has drawn reaction from across the tennis world.

Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick has commented on the move.

Roddick added a reason why Ferrero might want to coach Shelton.

Rick Macci, the famed coach who worked with the Williams sisters, delivered a blunt verdict.

Macci said Ferrero "will probably not move the needle."

Shelton's father, Bryan, got special credit from an ex-world No. 1 for being open to hiring Ferrero.

That ex-world No. 1 praised Bryan Shelton for putting his ego aside.

Having two coaches can be complicated.

But Shelton said he believes the setup will work.

He has trained with Ferrero before, during off-season sessions.

Shelton said the chemistry is already there.

He called it a "unique situation."

The American is one of the most marketable young players in tennis.

His big serve and flashy style have made him a fan favorite.

His relationship with Rodman has also drawn attention.

Rodman is a star in women's soccer.

She is the daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman.

She won the NWSL Championship with the Washington Spirit in 2021.

She has been dating Shelton since early 2025.

The couple has been open about their relationship on social media.

Rodman often travels to watch Shelton play when her schedule allows.

But this week, she stayed in Washington.

Shelton was in Paris.

The distance meant Rodman spent the evening with Baptiste instead.

Baptiste, like Rodman, is a D.C. sports figure.

She grew up in the area and still trains there.

Her injury has kept her off the court for months.

She is expected to return to the WTA Tour in 2027.

For now, she is rehabbing and enjoying time with friends.

The Wizards game was part of that.

Shelton's loss means American tennis fans have one fewer player to follow in Paris.