WATCH: Aryna Sabalenka’s Wimbledon 1R opponent, Carson Branstine can’t believe her eyes after saving embarrassment of a game-less loss to World No. 1
Carson Branstine, a 24-year-old Canadian qualifier ranked No. 194, narrowly escaped the embarrassment of a game-less loss to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in their first-round match at Wimbledon 2025 on June 30, 2025, on No. 1 Court. In a 73-minute battle, Sabalenka secured a 6-1, 7-5 victory, but Branstine’s resilience, particularly in the second set, earned her widespread admiration. A viral moment captured by *Wimbledon*’s official broadcast showed Branstine’s disbelief as she held serve to avoid a shutout in the first set, firing a 120 mph ace to claim her only game, delighting the crowd, per *Flashscore.com*.[](https://www.flashscore.com/news/tennis-wimbledon-wta-singles-top-seed-sabalenka-powers-past-qualifier-branstine-in-first-wimbledon-test/2spV1UaB/)
Branstine, making her Grand Slam main draw debut, struggled early, dropping the first five games and handing Sabalenka a break with a misjudged volley, per *Central Chronicle*. Facing a potential bagel, she rallied in the sixth game, landing a crucial ace to get on the scoreboard, a moment that sparked loud applause and a relieved smile, as noted by @ReutersSports on X. The second set saw Branstine elevate her game, serving seven aces overall—outpacing Sabalenka’s three—and pushing the top seed with fierce baseline rallies. Sabalenka praised her opponent’s “crazy” 120 mph serves, saying, “It was really tough to read her serve in the second set,” per *Tennishead.net*.[
Despite creating a break point at 1-1 in the second set, Branstine couldn’t capitalize, and Sabalenka broke at 5-5 to seal the match, per *WTATennis.com*. Branstine reflected post-match, “When it mattered, she showed up… Those little details separate the Top 10 from the rest,” acknowledging Sabalenka’s clutch performance, per *WTATennis.com*. Her seven aces and 17 winners matched Sabalenka’s, but 26 unforced errors and a 46% second-serve win rate proved costly, per *TheStar.com*. Fans on X, like @JacobPacheco6, noted the “great promise” in Branstine’s second set, while @BenLewisMPC projected her rise to the top 175, per.
Branstine, a former junior doubles champion with Bianca Andreescu, funded her tennis career through modeling for brands like Zara and Lululemon, per *DailyMail.co.uk*. Her confidence, evident in her pre-match claim to *CLAY Magazine* that she’s never been “genuinely outplayed,” shone through despite the loss, per @BenRothenberg. Sabalenka, advancing to face Lulu Sun or Marie Bouzkova, remains a favorite for her first Wimbledon title, per *ThePlayoffs.news*
