'I love that we're together again': Carson Branstine discusses emotional win over close friend Bianca Andreescu at Wimbledon qualies

Canadian star Carson Branstine spoke about her close relationship with Bianca Andreescu, shortly after defeating her in Wimbledon qualifiers. The World No. 194 made her WTA Tour debut this year and secured her first main draw appearance at a Grand Slam after successfully navigating qualifying, leaving behind none other than Andreescu and French Open semifinalist Lois Boisson.

Branstine was one of the lesser-known names in the Wimbledon main draw and was drawn against none other than World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the first round. She gave the three-time Grand Slam champion a good battle, despite her limited experience on big stages. The Belarusian secured a 6-1, 7-5 victory, ending the Canadian's impressive week.

At 24 years old – the same age as Andreescu – the tennis player is beginning to take her first steps at the top level, following a successful junior career that was overshadowed by injuries in recent years. The match against the former US Open champion was undoubtedly special, with Andreescu being her former doubles partner and a close friend.

“I love that we're together again and we're able to lean on each other because she is someone who's very close to me through juniors and we play doubles with each other a lot,” Branstine revealed. “We have some incredible memories and experiences. So yeah, it's really nice to be in the same environment as her again and have someone I can actually trust that has my best interest.”

“Being on the opposite side of the net and playing against each other, it's not easy at all because at the end of the day, it's like, yeah, you want to win the match and I'll do anything I can to win, but it's still respectable,” the 24-year-old Canadian added. “And I think if anyone watched the match, they can tell that we clearly respect each other and that we just were fighting to win a tennis match. There was nothing beyond it. And afterwards, we talked, we hugged."

Branstine gained a significant 20-spot boost in the rankings and will appear as World No. 174 once Wimbledon concludes, marking her career-high ranking. Her next challenge will be in the W100 Evansville Challenger on hardcourts, her only confirmed tournament in the coming weeks before playing the US Open qualifying in mid-August.