Canadian tennis player Carson Branstine has revealed the extreme financial hardship she faced before her Wimbledon debut, including having just $26 (£19) in her bank account at one point.

The 24-year-old disclosed that she worked as a delivery driver in Los Angeles to fund her tennis career.

Branstine competed at the All England Club earlier this week before losing to Aryna Sabalenka, the No 1 seed.

"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," she told Telegraf.rs.

Canadian tennis player Carson Branstine has revealed the extreme financial hardship she faced before her Wimbledon debut, including having just $26 (£19) in her bank account at one point

The financial pressure brought her to tears.

"I thought about how I'm going to finance myself for the tournament now. I cried," she admitted, explaining how she drove around Los Angeles delivering dinners after training sessions.

Despite qualifying for the tournament and losing in the first round to world No 1 Sabalenka, Branstine earned £66,000 from her Wimbledon appearance.

The Canadian reflected on her whirlwind experience, admitting she enjoyed all of it.

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"This week, many things happened to me for the first time in my life," she said.

"It was my first time qualifying, only my second Grand Slam in my professional career, my first time playing on court number one, and my first time playing against a top 10 player, let alone the world No 1.

"It was so much fun, I didn't want it to end. I'm very happy with how everything turned out."

Branstine has supplemented her tennis income through modelling work, which she says has helped fund her tournament participation on the WTA tour.

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Carson Branstine lost to Aryna Sabalenka (pictured) at Wimbledon earlier this week

The world number 194, who holds a Bachelor's degree in Society, Ethics, and Law with a double minor in Philosophy and Sports Management, was determined to maintain financial independence.

"I didn't want to ask my parents for anything. I wanted everything to come from me and from my tennis," she told Clay Tenis.

She revealed that she couldn't inform her parents about her financial struggles at the time.

"I wasn't allowed to call my parents - if they found out, they would be very angry," she admitted.

The Canadian also spent a year assisting a lawyer, attending court and filing family law cases.

"I am proud of myself for many reasons," she continued.

"I fought many battles, not only financially, but also physically. And when I see that all my hard work has paid off, the feeling is incredible.

"Modelling and tennis are weirdly similar: you are an object a lot, and people sometimes forget you're a person too."

Carson Branstine has opened up on her modelling days before she played at Wimbledon

The Canadian emphasised that her modelling contracts were based on merit rather than her sporting achievements.

"I wasn't signed by these agencies because of my tennis, it was for my look," she explained.