At the 2026 Dallas Open, tennis player Ben Shelton is competing in the North American hard-court swing while his girlfriend, professional soccer star Trinity Rodman, has set herself an unusual goal: convincing Shelton’s father and coach, Bryan Shelton, to perform a celebratory dance. The challenge emerged amid Shelton’s ongoing tournament run.
Ben Shelton and Trinity Rodman have been in a relationship for nearly a year, having made their partnership public in March 2025. Rodman, a forward for the U.S. women’s national soccer team and the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), is known for her competitive spirit on the field.
Shelton is seeded second at the Dallas Open and began the tournament strongly, defeating Gabriel Diallo 6-4, 6-4 in the opening round. He followed that with a hard-fought victory over Adrian Mannarino, winning 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.
After his win against Mannarino, in a post-match on-court interview, Shelton was asked whether he would join his father, Bryan Shelton—who is also his coach—in a celebratory dance. This question drew a parallel to Rodman’s own on-field celebration when she danced with U.S. women’s national team coach Emma Hayes after scoring against Chile.
Shelton responded candidly that while his father is open to many things, dancing in celebration is not among them.
“I think there’s a better chance of a lot of things in life. I think that’s one thing [making Bryan do a celebratory dance] that will never happen. So that’s not something I would even ask,”
Shelton said.
Rodman did not let this discourage her and publicly accepted the challenge to make Shelton’s dad dance.
“get Ben’s dad to do a dance. Challenge accepted @benshelton,”
Rodman captioned her Instagram story.
Ben Shelton turned professional in 2022, and his father Bryan, formerly the head coach of the University of Florida’s tennis team (Florida Gators), transitioned from collegiate coaching to become his full-time coach in 2023.
Alongside his singles campaign, Shelton is also competing in doubles at the Dallas Open with fellow American Aleksandar Kovacevic. They advanced past the first round by defeating wildcard entrants Grigor Dimitrov and Georgi Georgiev but were knocked out in the quarterfinals by the third-seeded pairing of Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul.
Upcoming Quarterfinal Opponent for Ben Shelton at Dallas Open
Following his second-round victory, Ben Shelton is scheduled to face Miomir Kecmanović in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Dallas Open. This match will mark their first encounter on the ATP Tour.
Kecmanović started the tournament by overcoming qualifier Sho Shimabukuro in a tightly contested match, 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-6(3). He then defeated fifth seed Tommy Paul 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinal stage.
The winner of this quarterfinal will move on to face either defending champion and seventh seed Denis Shapovalov or third seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semifinals, intensifying the competition at the ATP 500 hard-court event in Dallas.
Context Around the Dance Challenge and Coaching Dynamics
The playful challenge involving Bryan Shelton’s reluctance to dance sheds light on the family’s close involvement in Ben’s career. Bryan Shelton’s transition from a successful collegiate coach with the Florida Gators to guiding his son on the professional circuit highlights a deep coach-player bond.
This challenge also demonstrates the energetic and fun side of the tennis world, contrasted with the serious intensity on court, as seen through Trinity Rodman’s lighthearted mission. The fact that Rodman takes on this challenge publicly brings added attention to the Shelton family dynamic amid the pressure of professional competition.
As the Dallas Open continues, the tennis community will be watching not only the athletic performances but also whether Bryan Shelton finally embraces the celebratory dance challenge posed by Rodman, adding a unique human interest layer to the tournament narrative.
