Sheâs got style, sheâs 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.
âI love being in front of the camera during a shoot. Itâs fun, I love fashion. Itâs been one of the reasons Iâve been able to pay some of my trips. I didnât want to ask my parents for anything â I wanted everything to come from me and from my tennis,â 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: âYou are an object a lot, and people sometimes forget youâre a person too.â
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.
âI did family law shadowing a lawyer, which was very emotional,â 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.
âMaybe not everyone knows who I am, but I believe I can beat anyone. I know my game can stand up to anyoneâs, and Iâm glad I can show that now,â she said.
