Carson Branstine, the tennis star dubbed Wimbledon's 'most beautiful debutant' in 2025, has revealed she worked as an Uber Eats delivery driver after her bank balance dropped to just £19. The 25-year-old Canadian, who made a stunning debut at SW19 last year, is absent from Wimbledon 2026 due to an injury sustained at the Australian Open.
Breakout Campaign and Memorable Debut
Branstine, who turned professional in 2024 after a successful junior and college career, had a breakout campaign in 2025. She beat former US Open champion and childhood friend Bianca Andreescu in qualifying to reach her first Grand Slam main draw. In the first round, she faced World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Court No. 1, losing the first set 6-1 but rallying in the second before falling 7-5.
Financial Struggles Behind the Scenes
Despite her on-court success, Branstine faced significant financial challenges as a lower-ranked WTA player. She told Telegraf.rs: "When you play ITF tournaments and finance your own life as a young athlete, everything is very expensive. I live in Southern California, and just filling up the tank was seriously draining my bill."
She recalled: "I remember one morning, a couple of weeks before I played my first WTA final in Cancun, I looked at my account balance and only had $26 (£19). I thought about how I'm going to finance myself for the tournament now. I cried. I called my friends, but I wasn't allowed to call my parents. If they found out, they would be very angry. I just said to myself, 'Don't think too much. Do it.' And so after training, I drove around Los Angeles and delivered dinners to people."
Modelling as a Side Hustle
Branstine also turned to modelling to finance her career, signing with an agency and working with fashion, fitness, and skincare brands. She said: "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 for 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."
After qualifying for Wimbledon in 2025, she earned around £66,000, but she continues to model, adding: "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."
Injury Sidelines Her from Wimbledon 2026
Branstine is unable to compete at Wimbledon 2026 due to an injury sustained at the Australian Open. Her absence is notable given the impact she made in 2025, when she was dubbed the tournament's 'most beautiful debutant'.
