Canadian WTA star, related to Freddie Freeman, calls out hate messages against her for not supporting country's own Blue Jays in World Series

WTA star Carson Branstine has some advice for those Canadian fans who are sending her hate messages for not supporting the Toronto Blue Jays, who are currently facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2025 World Series.

Branstine has been receiving ungrateful messages on social media throughout the World Series. After the completion of World Series Game 4, which saw the Blue Jays defeating the Dodgers 6-2 to level the Fall Classic, Branstine asked fans to look up her family tree before advising her on whom to root for.

"Can ppl stop sending me hate messages for being a dodgers fan and do some research on my family tree lol," she wrote on X.

Firstly, Carson Branstine might be living in Canada, but she was born in Irvine, California, USA, to an American father (Bruce Branstine) and a Canadian mother (Carol Freeman, from Toronto). She holds dual citizenship.

But that is not all why she supports the Dodgers.

Branstine is actually the first cousin of the Dodgers' first baseman Freddie Freeman. The other day, the former MVP hit a walk-off home run to help the Dodgers win 18-inning World Series Game 3.

Thus, hailing from the West Coast and having a close connection to Freeman might suggest why she is cheering for the Dodgers instead of the Blue Jays.

Why is Carson Branstine referred to as a Canadian player and not American?

Carson Branstine originally represented the USA during her junior career, but she shifted to Canada to train at the national training centre of Tennis Canada in Montreal in late 2016.

During a phone interview in July, Branstine was proud of calling herself Canadian and credited Tennis Canada for their support in her development in the sport.

"I'm a first-generation American on my mom's side of the family, and it's a way of honouring that," she said via Sportsnet. "And it's like, I am Canadian at the end of the day, I truly feel like I identify as a Canadian. I love playing for Canada. It's the best thing ever."

For those unversed, even Freddie Freeman recognizes himself as Canadian on the international stage. Though he resides in California, to honor his late mother, Rosemary Freeman, the first baseman has opted to represent Canada in international baseball tournaments.

Freeman's mother died when he was just 10 years old due to melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Ever since, the Dodgers star continues to pay her tribute by wearing sleeves and bringing awareness regarding skin cancer.

Edited by Krutik Jain