Trinity Rodman, the 23 year old footballer, has hit back at critics after she was spotted supporting her boyfriend, Ben Shelton, during his fourth-round defeat to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open on Sunday.

Rodman, who recently went public with her relationship with the U.S. tennis star, travelled to Roland Garros to cheer on Shelton in the second major tournament of the year.

Currently sidelined due to a persistent back injury, Rodman plays for both the United States women's national team and the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League.

After receiving criticism from fans suggesting she wasn't taking her recovery seriously, Rodman responded with an Instagram post.

The USWNT forward shared a video of her daily rehabilitation routine along with a sarcastic message to those doubting her commitment.

"Yes, I'm grinding almost every day in PT to get back on the field. NO, I'm not just being a wag and vacationing:) thank you," Rodman wrote to her 560,000 followers.

Despite her support, Rodman watched as Shelton lost in four sets against Alcaraz, who is aiming to defend his French Open title.

Shelton will now prepare for the upcoming summer tournaments, including Wimbledon, while Rodman continues her journey to recovery.

Since her rookie season with the Spirit in 2021, Rodman has been battling a persistent back injury, suffering from spasms and related complications. Her condition worsened after a triumphant stint at the Paris Olympics with the USWNT, where they clinched gold, only to aggravate her back during a match against Kansas City Current.

The agony was so intense that Rodman had to be wheeled off the pitch. Despite this setback, she managed to make a comeback for the NWSL's new season in March, participating in the first four matches.

However, on April 19, the Spirit announced Rodman would be sidelined indefinitely.

In a statement to ESPN, the Spirit conveyed, "Trinity is taking time away from team activities to manage her back," adding, "We look forward to her returning when she's healthy."

Although there's an anticipation of Rodman's return to the field soon, she has expressed concerns that her back may never fully recover. The gravity of her recurring injury, which has overshadowed her professional career, has led Rodman to question if she'll ever regain full fitness.

After a 2-0 victory over Bay FC earlier in the season, just a fortnight before the Spirit's decision to give her an indefinite break, Rodman confided to journalists, "Honestly, I don't think my back will ever be 100 percent. It's kind of an issue of it's not one specific thing."

The issue is simply down to the structure of her back, and as such, it is a matter of managing the condition rather than finding a cure. Despite this, she is pleased with how her recovery has progressed.

"It's just the way that my back's structured. And it's more so management than like a curable fix. So I think we've managed it really well and I'm happy with the progression that we've had. But for me, I don't think my back will ever be the way it was my rookie year, which is unfortunate."

Rodman is also an important member of the US Women's National Team, and as such, the squad's head coach, Emma Hayes, is fully supportive of her cautious approach to recovery. While there is no set timeline for her return to action, Hayes stressed that Rodman has the full backing of everyone involved.

"I don't know when she will be back, but I know that Trin is being given all the support by everyone, and we very much hope for a speedy recovery," she told reporters. With regards to the recurring issue with Rodman's back, Hayes believes she is taking the right steps to address the problem.

"I think, with regards to the issue in her back, she wants to get to a place where it doesn't keep coming back. So, I think these are the right steps for her."

This article originally appeared on The Mirror US.