CARSON BRANSTINE dazzled world No1 Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon as she achieved the biggest feat of her tennis career.
The Canadian-American reached the first round of Wimbledon after qualifying for a Grand Slam for the first time.
Her road to SW19 has not been easy however as she has had to battle trolls and her own personal doubts.
Branstine, 24, who is also a model for Wilhemina, admitted she almost quit the sport she loves this year.
She has called modelling her “cool little side hustle” and it has helped fund her tennis career, despite trolls trying to put her down with mean comments.
Branstine takes the insults in her stride, suggesting they merely confirm what she already knows.
She told SunSport: “People like to comment their opinions on stuff when they don’t really know anything, but it doesn’t bother me.
“The two most common quote, unquote, hate comments have actually confirmed exactly why I am a signed model so it’s like thanks guys, you’re not saying anything I don’t know.
“Calling me an alien. I’ve seen comments, been DM’d, and just things on different news articles or on Twitter, Instagram or whatever, saying ‘oh, your eyes look far apart’. ‘You’re an alien.’
“I’m like, that’s literally the point. Thank you. I call myself an alien all the time. All my friends are like ‘oh, who’s your celebrity lookalike?’
“I’m like, no one. I’m an alien. I say this all the time. So it’s like, OK, confirmation or people are like ‘oh, you look like a man or you look like a boy and have masculine features’.
“I’m like, that’s also the point. That is celebrated in the modelling industry.
“So I’m like, thank you guys for confirming that Wilhelmina made a great decision to sign me because that’s awesome. I totally agree.”
Branstine has moved up to world No175 after reaching the All England Club, while her modelling work has also taken off in recent years.
She is signed to two agencies – Wilhelmina and The Outfit – and has worked for brands such as Zara and Lululemon.
Branstine began modelling from an early age with her breakout role coming around the age of seven when she walked on a runway for luxury department store Nordstrom.
Her modelling work took a back seat in her teen years and did not take off again until college, with Branstine also working as a delivery driver to pay the bills as modelling became more of a hobby.
She said: “I would say I’m 90 per cent a tennis player and then 10 per cent a model but you’ve got to pick your battles.
“I wouldn’t call modelling a non-stressful thing to do as your hobby, but I like it. I think I always need something a little bit stressful going on. I’m just built like that.
“To be a high-level tennis player or high-level, quite literally anything, you have to be a little crazy. So it’s good for me.”
Branstine won three matches at Roehampton to qualify and has since earned the tag of “Wimbledon’s most beautiful debutant”.
She beat her friend and compatriot, 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, in the final qualifying round in what was an emotional affair for Branstine.
But nothing beat the moment of relief she felt when she won her first game on Court One, having lost the first five games against Sabalenka.
Branstine told SunSport: “When I got it, it was just relief.
“I was like, oh, thank God. And I wanted everyone to feel that with me.
“I really like connecting with the crowd. So I’m glad it excited everyone. And it was a cute little moment.”
Branstine is a big admirer of Sabalenka and feels she shares similar traits with the world No1, from hitting big to their fiery persona on court, as well as their openness off it.
The match ended 6-1 7-5 to Sabalenka, with the Belarusian going on to make the semi-final where she lost to Amanda Anisimova.
But she gave Branstine a moment she will never forget after sealing match point.
Branstine continued: “At the net, it wasn’t really much, but she just said ‘you’re so beautiful’.
“I couldn’t believe it. And I was like, you too. And then we kind of laughed. That was our little exchange.
“But it was really nice. I like her as a person. She’s a great girl, amazing player.
“I feel like I could be friends with her. Maybe I will be eventually.”
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