She’s got style, she’s got grace, and Carson Branstine also has one heck of a serve.
The 24-year-old tennis up-and-comer will face the top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon on Monday as Branstine looks to make an impact in her first showing at the All-England Club.
She’s currently ranked 197th in the world and has already made a bit of a name for herself during a dominant collegiate tennis career at Texas A&M and the story of how she’s funded her pro tennis career through modeling has captured the public’s attention.
Branstine had described modeling as “a cool little side hustle” and a way to fund herself on the WTA tour without having to burden her parents for any financial help, she explained to a small gaggle of reporters recently, which included 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.
