After Andrew Castle repeatedly referred to Trinity Rodman as “Tiffany” during the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon earlier this week, the British broadcaster is saying he’s sorry.
“Andrew apologises for mispronouncing Trinity Rodman’s name during the Ben Shelton vs. Lorenzo Sonego match,” a BBC spokesperson said in a statement, according to The Telegraph.
To be clear, Castle didn’t just mispronounce Rodman’s name — he got it wrong entirely. And the United States Women’s National Team star called attention to the misidentification on social media, while also taking issue with the former tennis star referencing her father, Hall of Fame forward Dennis Rodman, as she watched her boyfriend Ben Shelton’s fourth-round victory over Lorenzo Sonego on Monday.
“For those who don’t know, my name is TRINITY not Tiffany,” Rodman wrote with a laughing emoji in a post on her Instagram story. “Also, for Ben’s matches he has his family there as his support system, which includes his dad… my dad’s not even in MY life no need to bring him up during HIS matches when I don’t even want him talked about during mine. It’s him and his loved ones’ moment. Thank you”
While Castle did note Rodman’s famous father — who he referred to as “the greatest rebounder in NBA history and the biggest wind-up merchant of all time,” per The Telegraph — he wasn’t alone. ESPN’s Mike Monaco also narrated the 23-year-old Rodman’s attendance on Monday, referring to her as “a great soccer player in her own right, the daughter of former basketball star Dennis Rodman.”
Many on social media criticized Monaco’s description, believing that referencing Dennis was superfluous. Especially when considering that Trinity has been candid about her fractured relationship with her father, including during a high profile interview on Call Her Daddy earlier this year.
“He’s not a dad,” Rodman told Alex Cooper. “Maybe by blood, but nothing else.”
On the one hand, it’s perfectly understandable that Trinity wouldn’t want her father to be referenced in such situations, especially when she’s merely supporting her boyfriend from the stands. On the other, Dennis Rodman was at one time one of the most famous athletes on the planet and it’s not surprising that broadcasters would be quick to say as much when introducing her to an audience.
But regardless of whether you feel like such references should be fair game or not, there’s no debating that her name is, in fact, Trinity.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.