Trinity Rodman ditches Ben Shelton for a WTA star at a Wizards game

Ben Shelton goes missing as girlfriend Trinity Rodman enjoys date night with WTA star instead at Wizards vs Hawks game in Washington.

Trinity Rodman, the NWSL star forward for the Washington Spirit, was spotted at Capital One Arena on Tuesday night.

She was watching the Washington Wizards take on the Atlanta Hawks.

But she was not sitting next to her boyfriend, tennis star Ben Shelton.

Instead, Rodman was joined by Hailey Baptiste, a 25-year-old WTA player who is a D.C. native.

Baptiste turned 25 on November 3, just two days before the game.

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

The Wizards lost the game 120-105 to the Hawks.

So where was Ben Shelton?

The world No. 4 American tennis player was in Paris, France.

Shelton is competing at the 2026 Rolex Paris Masters, an ATP Masters 1000 event.

He received a first-round bye as the No. 3 seed.

On Tuesday, he opened his campaign with a dominant 6-3, 6-4 win over Cameron Norrie.

The match took just over an hour.

That win advanced him to the third round of the tournament.

But later that same day, Shelton lost his Round of 16 match against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.

Rinderknech defeated Shelton in straight tiebreak sets, 7-6, 7-6.

The match lasted 108 minutes.

With that loss, Rinderknech now holds a 2-0 career head-to-head record against Shelton.

Both wins came in identical two-tiebreak scorelines, the first being at Queen's in 2025.

Rinderknech advanced to the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters.

So while Shelton was losing in Paris, Rodman was enjoying a night out in Washington.

The crossover between these two sports worlds is not new.

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

At 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 and was ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Her recovery is ongoing.

Meanwhile, Shelton made a major off-court move this week in Paris.

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

Ferrero is a former world No. 1 and coached Carlos Alcaraz to six Grand Slam titles and 24 ATP titles.

The pair split in December 2025.

Shelton will work with Ferrero alongside his father, Bryan Shelton, who has coached him since his junior days and through two seasons at the University of Florida.

Following his second-round win on Tuesday, Shelton explained the decision.

"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 court."

Shelton's loss to Rinderknech means he is now out of the Paris Masters.

He will head home to the U.S. soon.

Rodman and Baptiste's night out was a simple birthday celebration between friends.

But the image of Shelton missing while his girlfriend was out with another tennis star has sparked online chatter.

Fans on social media have been quick to comment on the timing.

Some noted that Shelton was 4,000 miles away and busy with his own match.

Others focused on the fact that Baptiste is a fellow tennis player recovering from a serious injury.

The Wizards game was a low-stakes regular season contest in November.

Neither Rodman nor Baptiste has commented publicly on the online reaction.

Shelton has not addressed the situation either.

The story is a simple case of overlapping schedules and friendships.

Rodman plays for the Washington Spirit in the NWSL.

Baptiste grew up in Washington, D.C.

Both women have strong ties to the local sports scene.

Supporting the Wizards is natural for both of them.

Shelton, meanwhile, was focused on his professional obligations in France.

The Paris Masters is one of the biggest events on the ATP calendar.

Missing a Wizards game is not unusual for an athlete traveling internationally.

But the framing of the story — "Ben Shelton goes missing" — implies a level of intrigue that the facts do not support.

There is no evidence of any rift between Shelton and Rodman.

No statements from either party suggest any relationship issues.

The two have been publicly dating for some time.

Rodman is one of the most recognizable faces in women's soccer.

She was a key player for the U.S. women's national team and the Washington Spirit.

Shelton is a rising star in American men's tennis.

He reached the semifinals of the 2023 US Open and the quarterfinals of the 2024 Australian Open.

He is currently ranked No. 4 in the world.

His partnership with Ferrero is seen as a major step in his career.

Baptiste, at 25, is still young in tennis years.

Her injury at the French Open was a significant setback.

ACL and meniscus injuries typically require months of rehabilitation.