Wimbledon star had £19 in bank and was working as Uber driver before big payday
Carson Branstine once found herself in tears after realising her bank balance had fallen to less than £20. This financial catastrophe ended up leading the tennis star to an unexpected career detour – delivering for Uber Eats.
Despite this setback, Branstine made a memorable debut at Wimbledon this year, battling through three qualifying rounds to reach the main draw at the prestigious All England Club.
Her first-round match was as tough as it could've got, being pitted against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. She put up a good fight but ultimately was defeated in straight sets of 6-1, 7-5.
Although her Wimbledon journey ended early, the experience proved invaluable for her sporting and financial prospects. The French Open junior doubles champion shared her story on the Tennis Channel, revealing her initial embarrassment about her side job and highlighting the harsh economic realities faced by young athletes.
Branstine said: "Yes it's true. I was like a little bit embarrassed by it at first when I told you guys, I was like, 'Oh man, is the whole world going to know this?'
"But yeah, in February because you know when you are playing ITFs and you're funding your whole life as a young adult, things are expensive.
"Living in Southern California, just filling up my gas tank was taking a huge hit at my account, and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, how am I going to play a tournament, let alone live?'"
Branstine opened up about the moment she realised how bad things had got financially, which left her deeply upset and forced her to seek alternative avenues. She said: "So, literally, the days or few weeks before I made my first WTA final in Cancun.
"I looked at my account one morning and I saw $26 (£19) in my account. And I was crying, I called a couple of my friends. I didn't call my parents.
"I was like, 'Oh my gosh, if they hear about this, like they're going to be so mad at me.' So I was like, 'Okay, this is like, you know, you don't have to think.
"'I'm just going to do it.' So I was driving around Los Angeles delivering people's dinner after practice."
While Branstine's Wimbledon journey has come to an end after her first appearance, the £66,000 prize money from reaching the first round should hopefully boost her once-empty bank account. And considering this year marked her debut at both Wimbledon and the French Open, things are looking up for her.
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