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

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

Rodman, a forward for the Washington Spirit in the NWSL, was spotted at Capital One Arena on Tuesday night alongside Hailey Baptiste, a 25-year-old WTA player from Washington, D.C.

The pair sat courtside as the Washington Wizards hosted the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks won 120-105.

Shelton, the world No. 4 in men's tennis, was not in attendance.

He had a straightforward reason for the distance.

Shelton was in Paris, France, competing at the 2026 Rolex Paris Masters, an ATP Masters 1000 event.

Seeded third at the tournament, Shelton received a first-round bye.

He opened his campaign with a dominant 6-3, 6-4 win over Cameron Norrie in the second round.

The match lasted just over an hour.

But Shelton's run in Paris ended in the round of 16.

He lost to Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in straight tiebreak sets, 7-6, 7-6.

The match lasted 108 minutes.

Rinderknech now holds a 2-0 career record against Shelton, with both wins coming via identical 7-6, 7-6 scorelines.

The first was at Queen's in 2025.

Rinderknech advanced to the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters with the victory.

While Shelton was losing in Paris, Rodman and Baptiste were celebrating Baptiste's birthday.

Baptiste turned 25 on November 3.

Rodman described their outing as a 'birthday week' celebration in an Instagram Story.

Baptiste has not competed on the WTA Tour since May 2026.

During a second-round match at the French Open against Wang Xiyu, Baptiste's left knee gave way.

She left the court in a wheelchair.

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

She underwent surgery in New York.

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

This is not the first crossover between these two groups of athletes.

During the Mubadala DC Open earlier in 2026, 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.

Rodman represents the Washington Spirit in the NWSL, the top professional women's soccer league in the United States.

Baptiste is a D.C. native, born and raised in the nation's capital.

Their support for the Wizards comes as no surprise given their local ties.

Shelton's biggest off-court move of the week came before he hit a ball in Paris.

On Sunday, November 8, Shelton confirmed that Juan Carlos Ferrero will join his coaching team for the 2027 season.

Ferrero, a former world No. 1, guided Carlos Alcaraz to six Grand Slam titles and 24 ATP titles before the pair split in December 2025.

Shelton will work alongside Ferrero and 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 over Norrie, Shelton explained that Ferrero's success with Alcaraz had been a factor in his decision to team up with the former world No. 1.

'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 courts.'

The Paris Masters is played on indoor hard courts at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris.

It is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 events on the men's tennis calendar.

The tournament is the final Masters 1000 event of the season.

Shelton, 24, has been one of the rising stars on the ATP Tour.

He reached the semifinals of the US Open in 2023 and has broken into the top five of the ATP rankings.

Rodman, 24, is the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman.

She was drafted second overall by the Washington Spirit in the 2021 NWSL Draft.

Rodman has established herself as one of the top players in the NWSL.

She has earned multiple caps with the United States women's national soccer team.

Baptiste has reached a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 85.

She has represented the United States in Fed Cup competition.

Baptiste's best Grand Slam result came at the 2024 US Open, where she reached the third round.

The Wizards-Hawks game was played at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C.

The Wizards are in the midst of their 2026-27 NBA season.

The Hawks are led by guard Trae Young.