World No. 7-ranked tennis player Ben Shelton has praised his girlfriend, Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, for her triumphant return to the field after a long injury hiatus.

Rodman, 23, made a significant impact in a game against the Portland Thorns, coming off the bench in the 76th minute and scoring a decisive goal in the 92nd minute, much to the delight of her teammates.

Interestingly, this occurred on the same day that Shelton achieved his 100th career ATP Tour win at the National Bank Open in Toronto, having previously made American history at Wimbledon. When asked which event was the highlight of the day, Shelton immediately responded, via ATP Tour, “I think Trinity Rodman scoring a goal.

“One year anniversary from her incredible goal at the Olympics, hadn’t played in 100-something days and she goes in and in 15 minutes scores a banger. It’s pretty cool, especially [because] she was emotional. I’m always happy for her.”

Rodman admitted after the game that recovering from her persistent back problem was “the hardest thing I’ve had to go through.”

She added, “Being back with the team, especially at home, with the stadium and the crowd behind me … scoring a goal like that – you saw I buried it. I was not going to miss it. I’m just really happy to be back.

“There was a lot of tears of like going through the injury, and then just a lot of unknowns. So being back and like knowing that I’m back for real and that the problem is like fixed and now I can just be back and work on the things I need to and kind of just get my groove back. It may have looked like it was back, but there’s still a lot of things I need to work on.”

It may have been a particularly challenging time for Rodman, but it seems it wasn’t without its advantages, beyond getting her back in shape.

Reflecting on how she had barely been able to take a break since claiming gold with the USWNT at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and subsequently dealing with injuries, while also trying to continue competing, Rodman confessed, “Stepping away was a great thing for me and getting my mind and physical right.

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“I think being in pain can really make your mind turn on you. Functioning in pain is the worst thing ever, and I’ve never had to do that,” she said. “So, again, I learned a lot. I’m really happy to be where I’m at right now and hopefully, utilize the things that I have learned and be able to translate that into the way that I want to, the new player that I am coming back.”

Rodman’s strike not only helped her get back into the rhythm of things, but it also left the Spirit third in the NWSL, tied on 26 points with the Orlando Pride in second, and one ahead of the San Diego Wave in fourth. The Spirit are set to return to the field on Saturday, facing off against Gotham FC.

Meanwhile, Shelton is slated for a quarter-final showdown with Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Tuesday.