Ben Shelton continued his impressive run on clay by opening his 2026 French Open campaign with a straight-sets victory over Spain’s Daniel Merida Aguilar. The fifth-seeded American cruised to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, strengthening hopes that the US could finally produce a serious men’s singles contender at French Open.
Shelton saved the lone break point he faced and held serve in all 14 service games during the opening-round victory. The win also marked his eighth clay-court triumph of the season, tying a career best.
With Taylor Fritz already eliminated early, Shelton is now America’s best chance to make a deep run in Paris.
Americans searching for breakthrough in Paris
American men have struggled for decades at Roland-Garros. No American man has won the singles title in Paris in 34 years. Last year, Shelton joined Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul in reaching the Round of 16, marking the first time since 1995 that three American men advanced that far on the Paris clay.
Now, Shelton is aiming to take the next step.
The Florida native will next face rising Belgian player Raphael Collignon in the second round.
Trinity Rodman shows support
While Shelton battles on court, his girlfriend Trinity Rodman continues supporting him from afar. The Washington Spirit star is busy with the NWSL schedule, making it difficult to attend her boyfriend’s matches in France.
Just days before the French Open began, Shelton shared a heartfelt birthday tribute to Rodman on social media for her 24th birthday.
“24 😍 Happy birthday beautiful”.
The post included several personal moments between the two athletes, including photos of them embracing outdoors, kissing after one of Shelton’s matches, traveling together on a private jet and posing beside what appeared to be a Lamborghini.
Rodman responded in the comments with: “❤️❤️❤️”.
Who is Trinity Rodman?
Rodman is one of the biggest stars in women’s soccer, building a standout career with both the Washington Spirit and the United States women’s national soccer team. Known for her speed, attacking flair and goal-scoring ability, Rodman helped the US capture the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has become one of the faces of the next generation of American soccer.
Rodman made history early in her professional journey. At just 18 years old, she became the youngest player ever selected in the NWSL Draft when Washington chose her No 2 overall in 2021. She immediately made an impact, helping the Spirit win the league championship during her rookie season.
Her rapid rise soon translated into a groundbreaking contract extension. Rodman signed a deal reportedly worth more than $1 million annually, making her the highest-paid women’s soccer player in the world at the time.
She has also become a regular fixture for the US national team and earned recognition as US Soccer Young Female Player of the Year.
She is the daughter of Dennis Rodman, the NBA Hall of Famer known for his championship-winning career and larger-than-life personality, and his former wife Michelle Moyer.
Her brother, DJ Rodman, also pursued basketball and played at the college level before beginning his professional career.
