The New Sports ‘IT’ Couple 

By Sarah McVeigh

When I started this column, I made a promise that it would be “for the girls,” and, BOY, will this one deliver!

The Wimbledon Championships have been in full swing for the past couple of weeks and just wrapped up. I won’t pretend like I watched any of it. But a few key moments at Wimbledon caught my attention.

First was that Amanda Anisimova made it to the Wimbledon Ladies’ Final, a first for an American woman since Serena Williams in 2019.

Iga Świątek beat Amanda Anisimova in the finals and became the first Polish woman ever to win Wimbledon singles.

Of course, the royal family usually makes an appearance at Wimbledon, and this year was no exception. Kate Middleton was looking fabulous, as per usual. It was her first public appearance since her cancer remission.

But the biggest news, at least in my book, was the emergence of a gorgeous new “IT” couple. This couple is Ben Shelton and Trinity Rodman. Ben Shelton, an American tennis player, had a pretty phenomenal run at Wimbledon, reaching the quarterfinals, but ended up losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. Trinity Rodman is an American soccer player who plays for the Washington Spirit and the U.S. National Team. She helped Team USA win gold at the Paris Olympics, scoring all three goals in the winning game. (I grudgingly bring up that Trinity is the daughter of former NBA star — and psychopath — Dennis Rodman. Trinity has publicly stated that Dennis Rodman is only her father by blood, and they have no personal relationship.)

OK, so yes, they are both star athletes in their respective sports. It’s impressive. But have you seen them? If you don’t know what these two look like, Google search “Trinity and Ben Wimbledon.” You will be flooded with images of two stunning humans gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes. There’s even a viral video of Trinity Rodman watching Ben Shelton talk to his mother, and it might be the most charming thing to ever exist on the internet.

You may be asking: “Why should I care?” Well, I personally am over the current star couples, and we needed some fresh, young love. And again, these two are seriously just gorgeous, and it’s only right that they found each other. How did these two meet? TikTok. They made TikToks about the other, and the rest is history — a truly modern love story.

I also want to give an honorable mention to another young, sporty, IT couple who have recently been dubbed “baseball royalty” after the MLB All-Star Game. Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, a retired elite gymnast who had more success as a college gymnast at LSU, and Paul Skenes, who also played baseball at LSU and is now a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. These two are hustlers; they hit every event, every red carpet, and they never miss an opportunity for cameras and cash. Honestly? I respect it.

Although I am much more interested in Trinity Rodman and Ben Shelton, Livvy Dunne and Paul Skenes deserve a shout-out. Either way, I am thrilled we have some new couples to obsess over in the sports world. Taylor and Travis, who? Us girls deserved it.