She’s got style, she’s got grace, and Carson Branstine also has one heck of a serve. 

The 24-year-old rising tennis star is set to compete against top seed Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon on Monday, aiming to leave her mark in her debut appearance at the prestigious All-England Club.

Currently holding the 197th spot in world rankings, she has already gained recognition through her impressive college tennis career at Texas A&M. Her unique journey of financing her professional tennis ambitions through modeling has intrigued the public.

Branstine referred to modeling as a “cool little side hustle” and a way to support herself on the WTA tour without relying on her parents for funds, as she recently shared with a small group of reporters, including representatives from Clay and Wimbledon’s website.

“I love being in front of the camera during a shoot. It’s fun, I love fashion. It’s been one of the reasons I’ve been able to pay some of my trips. I didn’t want to ask my parents for anything — I wanted everything to come from me and from my tennis,” she explained. 

Branstine has signed with two agencies and her social media is a mix of her tennis and modeling activities. 

The American-born Canadian tennis player suggested there was one big similarity between tennis and modeling in her eyes: “You are an object a lot, and people sometimes forget you’re a person too.”

Despite injuries over her career, Branstine still found plenty of success during her days at Texas A&M and helped the program win a national championship in 2024. 

Away from the court, Branstine studied Society, Ethics, and Law, with a double minor in Philosophy and Sports Management, and even assisted an attorney for one year. 

“I did family law shadowing a lawyer, which was very emotional,” she said. 

Following her tennis career, Branstine would like to return to law school and eventually start a family. 

But directly in front of her is a chance to pull off a major upset at Wimbledon. 

She previously had defeated top-seeded  Lois Boisson to start the qualifying and expressed immense confidence in herself. 

“Maybe not everyone knows who I am, but I believe I can beat anyone. I know my game can stand up to anyone’s, and I’m glad I can show that now,” she said.