Carson Branstine recently shared a heartwarming story about her encounter with tennis legend Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon 2025. Just days after losing to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the first round, Branstine took to X to reveal the kind words exchanged between her and the 24-time Grand Slam champion. This moment perfectly captures that the game is more than just the matches played on the court.
Carson Branstine’s Heartfelt Tweet About Meeting Her Tennis Idol
The 24-year-old Canadian made her feelings clear in a tweet about meeting Djokovic after her first-round match against Sabalenka. She called him her idol and shared how kind the Serbian legend was during their brief encounter.
In her tweet, Branstine mentioned how Djokovic thanked her for shouting his name out in her interview after qualifying. This reference points back to her comments during her post-qualifying interview, where she had praised the tennis legend. The rising star was clearly moved by the fact that someone of Djokovic’s stature had not only noticed her words but took the time to acknowledge them personally.
She wrote, “Had the honor to meet the goat & my idol @DjokerNole after my match, I want to acknowledge how kind he is & how he thanked me for shouting him out in my interview after qualifying. I think I was Balkan in another life because I always end up friends with yall ajde!!”
Had the honor to meet the goat & my idol @DjokerNole after my match, I want to acknowledge how kind he is & how he thanked me for shouting him out in my interview after qualifying. I think I was Balkan in another life because I always end up friends with yall 😅 ajde!!
— Carson Branstine (@carsonbranstine) July 2, 2025
The word “ajde” is a common expression in Balkan languages, meaning “come on” or “let’s go,” showing her familiarity with the culture.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Carson Branstine: First Round Match at Wimbledon 2025
Branstine’s journey to that first-round meeting with Sabalenka was remarkable. The Canadian qualifier earned her spot in the main draw by winning three tough qualifying matches.
She defeated French Open semifinalist Lois Boisson in the first round of qualifying. She then faced her childhood friend and former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in an emotional second-round match. Her third qualifying win came against Raluca Serban.
When she finally faced Sabalenka on Court 1, the Belarusian won in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5, but Branstine showed fighting spirit throughout.
Currently ranked 194 in the world, Branstine has shown rapid improvement since returning to full health. She was unranked as recently as November 2023 but climbed to her current position in just 19 months.
Beyond tennis, she has worked as a professional model to help fund her career and even drove for Uber Eats to supplement her income during lean periods.
