The draw for the 2025 Wimbledon Championships was released recently, and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has been handed an intriguing first-round opponent, Carson Branstine. The latter is currently ranked No. 197 in the WTA rankings and is also a professional model.
Branstine is scheduled to face Sabalenka in the first round of the championships on Monday, June 30. After the draw, the Canadian gave her candid reaction to matching up against the three-time Grand Slam winner.
Carson Branstine Reacts Ahead of Facing Aryna Sabalenka in the Wimbledon 1R
Sabalenka had a modest start to her grass-court campaign by her standards, following an exceptional clay season. She entered the Berlin Tennis Open as the top seed and secured wins over Rebeka Masarova and 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina to reach the semifinals.
However, she fell to the eventual champion, Marketa Vondroušová, in straight sets. The World No. 1 was among the earliest to arrive at the All England Club, beginning her preparations for the third Grand Slam of the season.
Branstine, meanwhile, came into the Wimbledon qualifiers after a disappointing stretch, including an early exit in Birmingham and a second-round loss at the Libema Open. However, she delivered an impressive turnaround in the London Major’s qualifying rounds, securing victories over French Open semifinalist Loïs Boisson, former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, and Raluca Georgiana Șerban to earn her spot in the main draw.
After finding out she’d drawn Sabalenka in the first round, Branstine expressed her reaction via her X handle.
“Maybe one day I’ll get a good draw LOL,” she wrote.
Maybe one day I’ll get a good draw LOL https://t.co/MqLZ6zitbu
— Carson Branstine (@carsonbranstine) June 27, 2025
The first-round encounter in SW19 will be the first between the Canadian and the Belarusian. Branstine is also a professional model, having signed with two agencies. The Canadian regularly showcases her modeling work on social media.
Sabalenka’s Wimbledon 1R Opponent Branstine Opens Up on Her Modelling Career
Speaking to Clay recently, Branstine expressed her passion for modeling and fashion, saying it helps fund her tennis travels. She also takes pride in and enjoys it.
“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 said earlier this week.
While clarifying that her modeling contracts were based on her appearance, Branstine highlighted how individuals are often objectified in both tennis and modeling.
“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,” she added.
Branstine has a golden opportunity to showcase her potential as she faces Sabalenka in the first round at Wimbledon. The Belarusian, who missed last year’s edition due to a right shoulder injury, reached the semifinals in her previous two appearances, in 2021 and 2023.
