Ben Shelton injury: GF Trinity Rodman's playful hint at shoulder issues ahead of Mannarino match

Ben Shelton was left in tears. The American sixth seed, who was leading against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, was forced to retire with a shoulder injury.

Updated on: Aug 30, 2025, 03:00:24 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Ben Shelton was left in tears. The American sixth seed, who was leading against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in his US Open third-round match, was forced to retire with a shoulder injury. With the walkover, the 22-year-old lost his chance to win his first men's Grand Slam title. However, now Shelton's girlfriend, USWNT star Trinity Rodman's playful hint at shoulder issues has surfaced.

Ben Shelton of the U.S. looks dejected after retiring from his match against France's Adrian Mannarino due to injury (REUTERS)

After Shelton defeated Pablo Carreño Busta in the second round on Wednesday, his girlfriend Rodman appeared as a reporter in the post-match press conference.

"So, how did it feel not being able to serve faster than 135[mph] today?" she teased Shelton. The American tennis star was visibly surprised to see his beau in the reporters' pool.

"I just know you like to serve big, and it wasn’t breaking 140 today," Rodman continued.

Ben Shelton then explained, "Yeah, it was cold outside. So, I think that was the main reason. I was focused on hitting spots and I didn't hit those spots, so maybe I should just serve bigger — but, something I'll definitely work on next time."

It is unclear if Shelton was facing issues with his shoulder on Wednesday.

Ben Shelton's teary exit

Shelton grabbed at his left shoulder and winced in pain after hitting a forehand shot early in the fourth set. "I just did something to my shoulder I don't know what it is. I'm in a lot of pain," he said to his father and coach, Bryan Shelton, before taking a medical timeout midway through the second game in the fourth set.

The 22-year-old added to his father that it was the ‘worst pain’. He ultimately exited the tournament in tears.

"When he started to have pain he was leading, he would probably have won the match," said Mannarino, who came back from a set down to level at 3-6 6-3 4-6 6-4 when the match was abandoned.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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