Ben Shelton opens up on his unique relationship…
Some favor to deal with their sporting heartbreak in non-public, but there was Ben Shelton at The Gem Saloon in New York City just hours after his loss to Alexander Zverev in the U.S. Open remaining on Sept. 13.
The American professional told The Post that he had deliberate on going to the stylish tavern, co-owned by NBA legend Steve Nash, with his household and close mates — including soccer star girlfriend Trinity Rodman — regardless of the result in his first Grand Slam remaining.
“[Steve] is a good friend, and the first time that I made the [U.S. Open] semifinals here in 2023, he let us have our after party dinner there,” Shelton, 23, said on behalf of his partnership with Thorne. “So we decided to run it back again this year. It’s a cool spot.”
A photograph of Shelton with two tavern staff on The Gem Saloon Instagram account made waves online.
Despite not being pictured at the after celebration, Rodman was there as nicely -— just as she was throughout his two-week run in Queens.
Trinity Rodman watches Ben Shelton play Hubert Hurkacz on Arthur Ashe Stadium during the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. MediaPunch / BACKGRID
Shelton and Rodman’s love story made headlines throughout the U.S. Open — particularly centered on Rodman, who’s at present in the center of the NSWL season with the Washington Spirt, flying back and forth from D.C. to New York to help him.
On the day of the ultimate, Rodman had a 1 p.m. recreation in Boston before she hustled back to New York for the tennis matchup that began an hour later.
Washington Spirit ahead Trinity Rodman (2) controls the ball in the second half against the Boston Legacy at Audi Field in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via GWN Connect
Shelton joked that Rodman, 24, confirmed up as he was “taking the L” and receiving his runner-up trophy at the U.S. Open remaining ceremony.
“I didn’t think that she was going to make it in time for the match,” Shelton said. “I knew that she can be there after the match was over. But I assumed it was going be unimaginable for her to really make it to the match. She variety of arrived proper as the ceremony was beginning, proper after I misplaced.
“I know that was tough for her, to grind as hard as she could to get here. That was weird. She shows up as I’m taking the ‘L.’ But it was a superhuman effort from her.”
Trinity Rodman reacts during Ben Shelton’s trophy ceremony speech following his defeat in the boys’s remaining of the US Open in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. GC Images
Shelton explained that him and Rodman “100 percent” join on a deep degree because of their respective careers and the eye that comes with it.
“I think that it’s tough unless you’re living it to understand that it’s not just dealing with the on-court demands, the physical and mental demands, but then the media demands and different things that you have to deal with outside of sport and different partners that you may be doing events with,” Shelton said.
“There’s so many things that go into what we do and it’s exhausting. I think that being able to relate to somebody who has the same demands on the field and the media requirements is really cool to be able to see those things eye to eye. She probably deals with it even more with the star power that she has. So, we understand each other in a different way than anyone else can.”
Ben Shelton and Trinity Rodman at the ATP 250 Boss Open in June 2026. He grew to become the third American to win the event. Instagram/Trinity Rodman
Across city in Chelsea, Zverev celebrated his U.S. Open title with a dinner at Tao Downtown Restaurant, adopted by an after celebration at Tao Nightclub, according to Page Six.
The next day, Shelton and Rodman visited younger youngsters, households and medical employees at a pediatric cancer clinic at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York.
The pair hard-launched their relationship on social media in March 2025.
Shelton said he caught around New York City for a few days after his U.S. Open defeat to spend some leisure time in his favourite metropolis to play in.
“The U.S. Open is where I had my first big, breakout moment,” said Shelton, who reached the semifinals in 2023 when he misplaced to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. “They gave me two wild playing cards right here when I used to be younger and variety of bought to expertise skilled tennis at the best degree for the first time. It’s a event I got here to a couple occasions as a child and it’s just different than every other event.
Ben Shelton in motion against Alexander Zverev of Germany during the Men’s Singles Final of the US Open Tennis Championships in Flushing Meadows, New York, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA/Shutterstock
“The energy of this tournament — I relate so well to the sports culture in New York and your average sports fan in New York. I think that I’m passionate about what I do. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I think that New Yorkers can relate to that and I just love the city. I love the event. There’s no better two weeks in the year.”
The No. 4 ranked Shelton didn’t dwell on the loss as he emerges as the most important risk to end the American males’s 23-year Grand Slam drought, since Andy Roddick claimed the 2003 U.S. Open.
“I’m so focused on the process, and I’m not as much worried about one result,” Shelton said. “I assume I’m joyful that I used to be ready to make the finals of the U.S. Open — but I’m more on a journey in phrases of my tennis, the extent that I can get to. I’m not the participant that I would like to be yet.
Ben Shelton reacts against Alexander Zverev of Germany during their Men’s Singles Final matc hof the 2026 US Open in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Getty Images
“That’s an ongoing process and I think that just keeps me grounded and keeps my head down. I’m able to just keep working.”
Nash was one of the first to coin Shelton’s nickname, “The Mountain”, because of his dimension as a 6-foot-4 lefty.
Shelton went professional in June 2022 after successful the NCAA singles title at the University of Florida that 12 months.
Shelton spoke with The Post on behalf of Thorne, which is the only supplement producer that collaborates with the Mayo Clinic on health and wellness research and content.
“To be able to work with the Thorne team to kind of curate a group of supplements that works well for me, we’ve kind of found the right concoction that helps me feel my best,” he said, including that it helped him on the night time of his historic 2026 quarterfinal victory over Carlos Alcaraz, which clocked in at 4 hours and 28 minutes. “I exploit their daily electrolytes, magnesium bisglycinate every night time before going to sleep, creatine constantly.
“We have pretty strict anti-doping rules [in tennis] that it can come.. and the [International Tennis Integrity Agency] can come test me any day out of the year. There’s that peace of mind Thorne gives me knowing that I’m not taking anything that’s contaminated. There’s nothing that could come back to bite me.”
Shelton withdrew from the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships on Friday, and explained in a video message that the “U.S. Open and Davis Cup took a toll on my body.”
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