The story of Carson Branstine: the tennis player who lives off fashion

The previous stages of the Grand Slams always leave interesting stories to tell, and after the players who advance to the main draw of Wimbledon 2025 are known, one stands out above the rest: Carson Branstine. The 24-year-old Canadian tennis player is ranked 197th in the WTA rankings and will make her debut in her first Grand Slam. Moreover, she will face the world number one: Aryna Sabalenka. So far, everything is normal.

However, in Canada, she became known before her final pass to the London event for another reason: she is a professional model. In fact, thanks to this job, she is able to travel around the world, financing her career and thus striving for her dreams.

Between Racquets and Cameras

"I love being in front of a camera during a photo shoot. It's fun; I love fashion. It has been one of the reasons why I have been able to fund some trips. I didn't want to ask anything from my parents; I wanted everything to come from me and my tennis," stated the North American, in statements collected by CLAY.

The Canadian took the opportunity to confess the similarities and difficulties of being a tennis player and a model: "I didn't sign with these agencies because of my tennis; I did it because of my physical appearance. Strangely, being a model and playing tennis have many similarities: often you are seen as an object, and people don't always realize that you are also a person," the young woman laments.

During the qualifying rounds, she had to play against one of the in-form players after Roland Garros, Lois Boisson. The Frenchwoman arrived in Paris with a Wildcard and reached the semifinals, but after her success in her country, she had to quickly adapt to grass, a surface she had never played on before. And the lack of experience was evident in favor of Branstine, who defeated her in the first match 6-2, 6-7(1), 6-4. Not content with Boisson, in her second match, she overcame her compatriot and the 2019 US Open champion, Bianca Andreescu, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-1.

"I have a lot of confidence in myself, and maybe not everyone knows me, but I believe I can beat anyone. I am convinced that I have the game to compete with anyone, and I am glad to be able to demonstrate it at this moment," she confessed after winning her third and final qualifying match against Georgiana Serban, just before finding out that her opponent in the first round would be Aryna Sabalenka.

Despite her great success, Branstine's recent years have been filled with injuries that have prevented her from achieving the necessary consistency. In her youth, she was the great promise of her country alongside Bianca Andreescu, and they won the junior doubles title at the 2017 Australian Open, defeating a certain Iga Swiatek in the final.

But this year, when her body has respected her, she is finding success and, above all, confidence: "I have been injured for over five years. The last time I played a full season was when I was 15 years old! I did a lot of research, stopped listening to people to learn on my own, and discovered what works for my body. I found the secret formula because I would say that I am one of the best athletes on the circuit. I am confident in that: I run fast, lift heavy, and I'm quite agile for my height," concludes Branstine, who, thanks to her profession as a model, has been able to cover the costs of the demanding circuit life and is now starting to reap the rewards of all her sacrifice with a poisoned gift: playing against Sabalenka at the tennis cathedral.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La historia de Carson Branstine: la tenista que vive de la moda