Wimbledon, tennis’s crown jewel, steeped in legacy since 1877, remains the oldest and most revered tournament in the sport. With its sacred grass courts, unbending “all-white” dress code, and unshakable traditions, it stands as the cathedral of class, grit, and glory. But this year, the hallowed grounds are casting long shadows over the American men’s charge. The Championship, though rich in prestige, and perhaps because of it, offers little flexibility. Just days ago, Taylor Fritz was frozen mid-battle, stopped cold by Wimbledon’s strict rule, a top seed left hanging, unfinished. Now, Ben Shelton, too, finds himself on the same boat.

Just a couple of hours ago, Ben Shelton lit up IG with a carousel of raw, emotional snapshots. His caption hit like a mic drop: “They ain’t wanna see anything else from me tonight but I’ll see y’all tomorrow.” The post featured three powerful frames: Shelton waving to the crowd, tumbling into the stands near his girlfriend Trinity Rodman, and passionately pleading his case to the chair umpire. All shots spoke louder than words.

Even ESPN couldn’t stay silent. The network shared a clip capturing the storm, with commentators frustrated by the unfolding drama. In one powerful moment, Shelton was seen walking off the court, fans roaring behind him, pouring out their support and pride for the American fighter.

So the story unfolded on Thursday evening, under the glowing skies of London, Ben Shelton was rolling past Rinky Hijikata in their 2nd-round clash at Wimbledon. With each serve and shot, the American surged ahead, leading 6-2, 7-5, 5-4. Just one game stood between him and victory. But at 9:29 p.m. local time, play was suddenly suspended due to darkness, despite the sun having set nearly ten minutes earlier. Frustration poured out of Shelton as he stood ready to serve for the win. The call left him stunned.

Shelton remained on No. 2 Court, pleading his case with the officials while Hijikata made his exit. The irony wasn’t lost; both players had earlier asked about suspending play, only to be told to carry on. Now, halted with the finish line in sight, Shelton reluctantly packed his bag and waved to the crowd under a still-striking blue sky. The halt wasn’t just untimely, it was unnecessary.

Just a night before, boos echoed across Wimbledon as chaos unfolded in the 1st-round battle between Taylor Fritz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. With the match tied at two sets apiece, officials suspended play around 10:15 p.m. UK time.

Fans were left fuming, and so was Fritz. Portuguese journalist José Morgado sparked social media outrage, writing, “What? Play suspended on court 1 before 5th set at 10.18pm, 40 minutes before curfew… Nonsense tbh. Fritz is furious. Crowd too. And rightly so.” As the tension swelled, so did Fritz’s anger.

Multiple posts captured the moment Fritz snapped. Reem Abulleil of The National News added that Fritz argued, “We have more time than our longest set.” But no amount of protest could overturn the call. The match was set to resume the following day.

Now, Shelton will need to reset and recalibrate. Though just one game away, the pause may disrupt his rhythm. If he wraps up his match early, he’s expected to face the winner of Gaël Monfils and Márton Fucsovics on Saturday, July 5.

Last year, Shelton reached the 4th round at Wimbledon, his best campaign yet. Now, ranked No. 10 in the world, Shelton has his partner by his side as he looks for an even better run at the Slam.

Trinity Rodman cheers on Ben Shelton’s Wimbledon success

Coming into Wimbledon off a 3-match losing skid, Ben Shelton needed a spark, and he found it. With a composed, straight-sets win over Alex Bolt 6-4, 7-6(1), 7-6(4), the American ace halted the slide and notched his 20th win of the 2025 season. Having reached the second week last year, Shelton reignited his Wimbledon charge with powerful serves and fearless shot-making in clutch moments. The win not only boosted his confidence, it lit up the hopes of fans hungry for a deep run.

Joining that wave of celebration was none other than his girlfriend, US soccer star Trinity Rodman. Always in his corner, Trinity took a moment to cheer on Shelton’s gritty first-round triumph. She reposted a reel from Wimbledon’s official IG, capturing one of Ben’s stellar plays, and captioned it with a playful, “Typeeeee.” The support? Loud and clear.

Fast forward to July 3, when Shelton returned for his 2nd-round showdown against Rinky Hijikata. In the player’s box, front row, was Trinity, locked in and glowing with pride. A clip shared by ESPN went viral, showing her eyes fixed on her man as he adjusted his jersey. Her expression said it all.

Fans online didn’t miss a beat. One user hilariously summed it up: “She’s looking at him like she’s watching a TikTok edit of him.” Trinity’s presence wasn’t just romantic, it was electric. She’s not just watching Wimbledon; she’s living every point with him.

As for Ben, with momentum in his hands and his heart full, he now needs to shift gears quickly for the third round. Wimbledon waits for no one, and though darkness may have stalled play, his fire remains lit. Want to make sure that you miss nothing when the match resumes? Head to EssentiallySports‘ minute-by-minute coverage of Wimbledon.