Meet model and tennis player Carson Branstine: Canadian faces Aryna Sabalenka – ‘I believe I can beat anyone’
Tennis is an expensive sport and sometimes players have to find alternative ways to fund their careers and that is exactly what Carson Branstine has done and now she will face the world No 1 at Wimbledon.
The 24-year-old Branstine has landed a plum Grand Slam main draw debut match as she will take on three-time Grand Slam winner Aryna Sabalenka in the first round at the All England Club.
Branstine has a fascinating on-court and off-court story as she has funded her tennis career through modelling and she proudly states that her official job title is professional tennis player and model.
In an interview with CLAY and several other media outlets, the Canadian stated: “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.
“I wasn’t signed by these agencies because of my tennis – it was for my look. Modelling and tennis are weirdly similar: you are an object a lot, and people sometimes forget you’re a person too.”
The “look” that the 1.8cm Branstine refers to is blue eyes and light brown hair.
Early Tennis Career
Born in September 2000 in California in the United States to an American father and Canadian mother, Branstine first represented her father’s country of birth before Tennis Canada made her an offer she couldn’t refuse and she started training at the National Training Centre in Montreal in October 2016.
She had immediate success under the Canadian flag as she won the Australian Open and French Open girls’ doubles titles alongside Bianca Andreescu, who would go on to win the 2019 US Open women’s singles event, in 2017.
University And ITF Success
Branstine started her higher education at the University of Southern California in 2019 before moving to the University of Virginia as she majored in Society, Ethics and Law with a minor in Philosophy. However, she didn’t represent either institution on the tennis court due to injury.
From Virginia, she moved to Texas A&M University and finally returned to the court as she represented Texas A&M Aggies women’s tennis for two seasons, peaking at No 8 in the ITF junior rankings in the singles at No 2 in the doubles.
Between 2021 and the end of 2024, Branstine won six ITF singles titles.
Stepping Up
Her debut on the WTA finally arrived in 2025 when she made her singles debut at the Libema Open in the Netherlands and she had instant success as she defeated top seed Liudmila Samsonova in the first round before losing her next match.
After several failed attempts to reach a Grand Slam main draw debut through qualifying, it finally clicked for Branstine at Wimbledon 2025 as she stunned French Open semi-finalist Lois Boisson, then beat Andreesca in the second round before overcoming Raluca Șerban to secure her ticket.
Confidence has always been high as she stated after beating Boisson: “We’re not in Paris anymore — this is grass, and it’s basically a different sport.
“I have a lot of confidence in myself. 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.”
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And she needed self-belief as she has suffered several big injuries, but her hard work off the court is paying off.
“I’ve spent in total over five years injured. The last time I played a full season was when I was 15! I did my own research, stopped listening to people, and figured out what works for my body,” she said.
“I’ve found the secret formula, because I’d say I’m one of the best athletes on tour. I believe in that — I’m fast, I lift a lot of weight, and I’m pretty agile for someone my height.”
Off Court
Branstine has completed her degree in Society, Ethics, and Law, with a double minor in Philosophy and Sports Management and when she wasn’t playing tennis, she assisted a lawyer.
“I used to dress up, go to court, file cases… we even won a few. I did family law shadowing a lawyer, which was very emotional,” she revealed.
But she still has plans to continue her studies and start a family once her tennis career is over, adding: “I’m dying to go back to law school after tennis, but I also want to become a mom and start a family.”
On The Rise
The Canadian reached a career-high of No 190 following her success earlier in 2025, but she has another big goal, saying: “Now I have to crack the top 100.”
A shock win over Sabalenka and she will rocket up the rankings.