Wimbledon is set to start on the 29th of June 2026 for 13 days of tennis action on the fabled grass courts.

Iga Swiatek is the current women’s singles champion, with the famous accolade constituting her 25th WTA Tour win. The Polish player is earning a lot of recognition on the court for her achievements, but is also receiving attention for another reason, which many female tennis players have to contend with: her beauty.

In the history of women’s tennis, there have been many females who have been considered, not only talented tennis players, but also great beauties.

Beauty in Women’s Tennis Isn’t Uncommon

Maria Sharapova was no stranger to this, with her blonde hair, green eyes, and athletic legs receiving many admiring glances. Anna Kournikova was the same, with her appearance making her one of the best known tennis players worldwide.

At the peak of her fame, Kournikova’s name became one of the most common search strings on Google Search due to fans searching for images of her, and she was named on People’s 50 Most Beautiful People in 1998.

Despite never winning a singles title, the Russian became a household name and cemented her celebrity status by marrying Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias and appearing in one of his music videos.

It was Wimbledon where a cheeky spectator asked the German tennis player Steffi Graf to marry him in the middle of her semi-final match with Kimiko Date. The proposal and Graf’s iconic response asking how much money he had has lived long in the sport’s memory, but it wouldn’t have happened without Graf’s beauty and undeniable skill on the court. Graf won 22 Major women’s singles titles and is the only player, male or female, to have won each major singles tournament at least four times to make a quadruple career Grand Slam.

However, last year’s Wimbledon introduced a new beauty to the scene; Canadian tennis player and model, Carson Branstine, who was making her debut.

Carson Branstine the Latest Tennis Beauty

She impressed in qualifying by defeating former US Open champion and her childhood friend Bianca Andreescu to earn her spot in her first Grand Slam main draw.

The 25-year-old was named Wimbledon’s ‘most beautiful debutant’ at the time and came up against the world number one Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka is also considered to be attractive, but the Belarusian admitted that her first impression of Branstine was that she was ‘so beautiful’ and ‘super pretty’, labelling her before their match as ‘the beautiful girl.’

Geoff Burke via Reuters

Branstine lost 6-1 in the opening set before fighting back spiritedly in the second, falling by a respectable 7-5 scoreline in the second to exit the tournament.

However, beauty doesn’t always pay the bills, and Branstine has described her financial troubles as a lower-ranked WTA player.

Carson Branstine’s Financial Struggles

While she was transitioning from college tennis to the professional ranks, she worked as an Uber Eats delivery driver to earn some money to combat her expensive ambitions in tennis.

Speaking to Telegraf.rs, the American-born player said: “When you play ITF tournaments and finance your own life as a young athlete, everything is very expensive. I live in Southern California, and just filling up the tank was seriously draining my bill.”

Geoff Burke via Reuters

Her struggles hit home just before a tournament, as she revealed: “I remember one morning, a couple of weeks before I played my first WTA final in Cancun, I looked at my account balance and only had $26 (£19). I thought about how I’m going to finance myself for the tournament now.”

This was without the support of her parents, and Branstine decided something needed to be done.

Modelling Has Helped Her Tennis Career

Her fortunes have since changed as she now has financial support from her modelling career, signing with an agency and working with fashion, fitness, and skincare brands. She also received around £66,000 for featuring at Wimbledon in 2025, but she continues to model and genuinely enjoys it.

She said: “I love being in front of the camera during a shoot. It’s fun, I love fashion. It’s been one of the reasons I’ve been able to pay for some of my trips.

She does, however, accept that in both modelling and tennis she has been noticed for the way she looks and that there are pitfalls to this, saying: “I wasn’t signed by these agencies because of my tennis, it was for my look. Modelling and tennis are weirdly similar, you’re an object a lot, and people sometimes forget you’re a person too.”

Fans hoping to see Branstine grace the courts in London this year will be sorely disappointed, as she picked up an injury at the Australian Open which has ruled her out, but she won’t be resting on her laurels and will come back stronger to fulfill her tennis dreams again, so she shouldn’t be forgotten about.

Mateus Fernandes does not have a preference which club he joins this summer, as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur go head-to-head for his signature.

That is according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who explained on his latest YouTube video that both clubs are in verbal communication with West Ham over a deal to sign the 21-year-old this summer.

United are keen to sign a second midfielder, having already agreed a £38million to sign Ederson from Atalanta. Meanwhile Spurs are looking to make a statement signing for Roberto De Zerbi, with midfield next on the agenda after making three defender signings and a goalkeeper move already.

West Ham hoping for a bidding war

via Reuters

Fernandes is looking for a move away from the London Stadium following West Ham’s relegation to the Championship last season, which coincidentally came as a result of Spurs winning on the final day of the season to save their bacon.

There are differing reports each day when it comes to Fernandes’ future, and it is the Hammers who will be relishing the rumours, given they will hope to drive up the price for the Portuguese player with two teams keen on signing him.

West Ham want at least £80million to sell this summer – double what they paid Southampton for him just last year – and talks are ongoing with both clubs. And Fernandes is likely to end up at the club who pays the most.

Romano said: “I see many reports, one day he’s close to United, one day he’s close to Tottenham. The reality of this story is that Mateus Fernandes is prepared to go to Man United or Tottenham. The player is open to both moves.

“He doesn’t want to stay at West Ham, obviously, he doesn’t want to play in the Championship next season, it’s almost impossible, but he’s ready to go to Man Utd, Tottenham, the player is not creating an issue on this.

​​​​​​​Both clubs in verbal talks for Fernandes transfer

via Reuters

“The point is to reach an agreement with West Ham and now, trust me, behind the scenes, we are not seeing many reports on an official bid sent, official proposal sent, but Man Utd and Tottenham are driving the process with the player’s camp and with West Ham by attacking every single day.

“One day Tottenham is bidding, one day Manchester United is bidding, but it’s all about verbal proposals. I told you the player will go to the club able to reach an agreement with West Ham on finance, and so who is paying the best money to West Ham is going to get the deal done. It’s about reaching an agreement with West Ham.

“The player is ready to accept both projects. It now depends on the club, so who can agree terms with West Ham will get the player, and it’s about the money, because they start at £85million, could be more if these clubs keep fighting for the same player, and also payment tariffs are also important for West Ham, so it’s not just about the fee, it’s also about the timing to pay this money.”

Manchester United may need to sanction several sales this summer in order to raise funds for new signings, as Michael Carrick looks to build on his promising start to life at Old Trafford.

The north-west outfit’s fortunes improved drastically after Carrick took over in January, with the former midfielder leading the Red Devils to a comfortable top-three finish, securing Champions League qualification for next season.

While this represented a promising campaign for United, there is recognition at the Manchester club that the squad still needs major work to take it to the next level and compete for major honours.

Mateus Fernandes could arrive from West Ham for upwards of £100million, while there are a number of other big names also being linked with a switch to Old Trafford.

However, to fund this prospective shopping spree, money will need to be generated via sales. Here’s how much Manchester United could potentially raise by sanctioning player departures.

Marcus Rashford and Manuel Ugarte could raise significant funds for Manchester United

via Reuters

After United failed to qualify for any European competition in the 2024/25 season, they deliberately stripped their squad, removing several depth pieces. The likes of Antony, Christian Eriksen, Jonny Evans, Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, Victor Linedlof, Andre Onana, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho all left, leaving Ruben Amorim with a much smaller group of players to work with.

As a result, the Red Devils now have fewer sellable assets to their name, while there is less of a desire to part ways with players as they will have Champions League football to contend with next term.

Thus, there are only a handful of players almost certain to leave Old Trafford this summer who can realistically generate a significant sum. However, Rashford and Manuel Ugarte are two who could garner a reasonable fee.

Barcelona have rejected the chance to sign Rashford for around £26million. The England international’s excessive wage package makes him a difficult player to move on, although there are potential suitors who could stump up a fee in this region.

Tottenham have been linked with Rashford, while there are sure to be other clubs interested in a player who scored 14 goals in Catalonia last season and is currently thriving at the World Cup.

It is understood there is a clause in his contract that allows him to move to a Premier League club for a fee of £40million – although that does not apply to Liverpool or Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Ugarte is said to be ‘95% likely’ to leave United this summer, although the Premier League giants will likely need to accept an offer significantly below what they paid for him back in 2024.

United forked out a reported £42million for Ugarte two summers back, and it’s fair to suggest that his stock has fallen significantly since this blockbuster switch from Paris Saint-Germain. The Uruguayan has endured two miserable campaigns in the north-west, and is now looking for a way out.

Galatasaray have been mooted as a potential suitor for Ugarte, and United are understood to be demanding around £24million for the player.

Manchester United could cash in on several more players for lower fees

Other than Rashford and Ugarte, there aren’t many players in United’s squad who are very likely to depart. That said, the Old Trafford hierarchy will be prepared to listen to offers for several more players.

Mason Mount is one who could leave the north-west this summer. Things haven’t worked out for the Englishman in Manchester, and United would surely be willing to cash in if an appropriate bid is lodged.

While Carrick is said to be fond of Mount, an offer in excess of £20million would surely tempt the Red Devils to sell.

Meanwhile, Joshua Zirkzee is another who has struggled at Manchester United since joining the club, and the north-west side would certainly be silly not to entertain offers for the Dutchman.

Tuttosport reported earlier this year that United would accept a £20million bid for Zirkzee.

Elsewhere, 22-year-old goalkeeper Radek Vitek is expected to leave this summer. The shot-stopper enjoyed an impressive season on loan at Bristol City last term, keeping 12 clean sheets in 41 appearances.

Hull Live suggest that Hull City are interested in signing Vitek, while journalist Alan Nixon has reported that United are holding out for £10million for the Czech.

Aside from these possible departures, United would need to sanction a more surprising sale if they want to boost their transfer budget. The likes of Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot or even Bruno Fernandes could be sold, although none of these appear likely at the moment.

If deals for Rashford, Ugarte, Mount, Zirkzee and Vitek go through at the aforementioned price tags, United would make £116million in player sales this summer.