Carson Branstine meets “my idol” Novak Djokovic after dream Wimbledon run

She competed in her first Grand Slam main draw, went toe to toe with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the first round and then met her idol Novak Djokovic shortly after. Is anyone having a better time at Wimbledon than Carson Branstine?

The California-born Canadian broke into the spotlight this summer after cracking the WTA’s Top 200 thanks to a string of strong results at the ITF and WTA 125 level. Branstine, who played college tennis for Texas A&M, helped lead the Aggies to their first national championship last year as a redshirt senior.

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Off the court, Branstine has what she calls “a cool little side hustle”: modelling. The 24-year-old is signed to two modelling agencies, Wilhelmina and the Neal Hamil Agency, and credits the work with helping her fund her post-college tennis career.

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“I love being in front of the camera during a shoot. It’s fun, I love fashion,” Branstine told press at Wimbledon.

“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.”

Branstine has built an audience of more than 60,000+ followers across Instagram and TikTok, where she shares behind-the-scenes glimpses of her training, travels and photoshoots.

After leaving college—where she studied Society, Ethics, and Law, with a double minor in Philosophy and Sports Management—Branstine initially wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue in tennis.

“I told myself if I don't make Roland Garros by this year, I'm quitting,” she told reporters. “And then I made Roland Garros and I was like, ‘OK, what's the next ultimatum because apparently this works?’ Not healthy for everyone else but I think for me it works…

“I’m trying to milk out this tennis thing and see how well I can do and then look back and be like, ‘Wow, that's pretty cool that I did that, you know.’”

“This sport has given me everything,” she added. “It gave me a free college education. My best friends play tennis. I've gotten to see the world and travel the world, not just as a tourist, but with a purpose. And that's something I take to heart, a lot.”

Branstine made good on her momentum at Wimbledon, where she came through qualifying with wins over Roland Garros breakout Lois Boisson, good friend Bianca Andreescu and Cyprus’ Raluka Serban to reach her first major main draw.

She shared every step on social media—including her reaction to learning that her Round 1 opponent was going to be top seed Sabalenka: “Maybe one day I’ll get a good draw LOL”

Though her dream run ended in a first-round loss, Branstine left London with one more unforgettable moment. After her match, she got to meet 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who she had name-dropped in an on-court interview:

“Had the honor to meet the GOAT (and) my idol @DjokerNole after my match,” she gushed on X, formerly Twitter. “I want to acknowledge how kind he is and 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 y’all 😅 Ajde!!”