The Labubu doll craze has swept through tennis like wildfire. After Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek were caught on camera beaming while unboxing their collectible treasures, the phenomenon reached another sports power couple. Ben Shelton’s girlfriend, soccer star Trinity Rodman, just made her own plea for Labubu luck, and her timing couldn’t be more perfect given what’s happening on the court.
Why Does Trinity Rodman Want a Labubu Doll for Her Upcoming Match?
Ben Shelton’s Cincinnati Open campaign is off to a sizzling start. Fresh off his first-ever ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto last week, the 22-year-old American has carried that momentum into Cincinnati, creating a nine-match winning streak across North America. He’s yet to drop a set in Cincinnati and smashed through opponents like Roberto Bautista Agut, surviving rain delays and serving up a flurry of aces.
The American later dispatched Jiri Lehecka in straight sets in just 81 minutes to reach the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, his girlfriend Trinity Rodman was preparing for her own crucial showdown against Racing Louisville, and that’s when she made her adorable request.
Ahead of Shelton’s quarterfinal showdown, the renowned soccer player expressed her desire to delve into the ongoing trend of owning a Labubu doll. While looking forward to her upcoming match, she openly asked her fans to bring a Labubu doll, hoping for good luck.
Sharing a picture on Instagram, she wrote:
“Plz plz instead of candy can someone bring me a cute labubu to the game tmr 👀👀👀 i will die.”
The trend of gifting Labubu dolls has taken over the internet to a great extent. Recent times showed Coco Gauff unboxing her unit in a video shared by WTA Tennis’ official Instagram account.
LMAOOOO 😭😭😭 coco got her first labubu pic.twitter.com/y41r7ARKIF
— 💜 (@VenusGauff) August 12, 2025
The series continued with another video featuring the six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Świątek unveiling her lucky surprise.
Iga opening Labubu😭😭😭😂
*
*
*🎥 @WTA on IG pic.twitter.com/jZhjWDWfgO— Iga Swiatek Updates (@IgaUpdates_) August 13, 2025
Rodman was seen backing Shelton during his opening match against Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the Cincinnati Open earlier this week.
Meanwhile, after securing a straight-set win over Lehecka, Shelton didn’t back down from expressing his confidence. During his ongoing quest to secure two back-to-back Masters 1000 titles, the 22-year-old admitted to the fact that he is hungry for more.
“I’m hungry. I’m in a good rhythm. I’m playing good tennis and my body feels good. I think the confidence, along with not being satisfied, wanting to prove myself over and over every time that I’m out on the court, and having things that I want to get better at, is a huge motivation for me, and it pushes me every match,” he said.
Shelton now prepares for the upcoming challenge against the German star Alexander Zverev. The upcoming showdown will mark their fourth clash on tour, with Zverev leading 3-0 in their head-to-head.