Ben Shelton Triumphs in Stuttgart, Celebrated by Family and Friends

Ben Shelton has kicked off his grass season in remarkable fashion, winning his third title of 2026 at the Boss Open in Stuttgart. The 23-year-old claimed his inaugural grass-court title by overcoming fellow American Taylor Fritz in a thrilling final on Sunday. Shelton was cheered on by his coaching team and his girlfriend, professional soccer player Trinity Rodman.

Rodman expressed her admiration for Shelton’s achievement on social media, while his sister Emma also shared her pride in his victory. The tennis community, including stars like Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and others, joined in to celebrate Shelton's significant milestone.

Entering the Boss Open, Shelton and Fritz were the top two seeds. Fritz, the defending champion, was vying for his sixth grass-court title, but Shelton had his eyes set on a breakthrough. The tournament proved to be a test of resilience for Shelton, as he battled through four matches that all went to three sets. He commenced his journey with a hard-fought win against Marcos Giron, saving a match point along the way, followed by a comeback against Japan's Sho Shimabukuro. In the semifinals, he narrowly defeated Jiří Lehečka after saving multiple match points.

In the final showdown, Shelton edged out Fritz with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. During his victory speech, Shelton expressed gratitude to Rodman for her support, noting, “I want to thank my girlfriend for flying here from Brazil... You’re definitely the lucky charm.” Rodman reciprocated by declaring herself his "no. 1 fan."

Monica Seles and other tennis figures also congratulated Shelton on his success. With this win, Shelton has now secured titles on all surfaces, adding to his previous victories on hard and clay courts. As he prepares to compete in Halle for his first ATP 500 title, Shelton faces a challenging first-round match against Nick Kyrgios.