Storm Hunter

Storm Hunter (née Sanders; born 11 August 1994) is an Australian professional tennis player. She reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 119 on 18 October 2021, and a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 1 on 6 November 2023, becoming the third Australian woman to hold the top spot.

Hunter won her first Grand Slam title in mixed doubles at the 2022 US Open. She has also won eight doubles titles on the WTA Tour, one doubles title on the WTA Challenger Tour.

Hunter debuted on the ITF Junior Circuit in December 2007, and on the senior circuit in November 2008. She won her first professional tournament in February 2013.

She also represented Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which due to the COVID-19 pandemic were held in 2021, reaching the quarterfinals in the women's doubles competition.

Early life

Hunter was born in Rockhampton, where she began playing tennis at the age of six after watching the Australian Open on television. Her father signed her up with a local tennis club where she was coached by Robert Beak. Her initial progress was slow - in Beak's words Storm "wasn't the most talented" despite her strong work ethic and determination - until, according to Beak, Hunter's skills suddenly and rapidly improved after "something clicked".

Beak coached Hunter until she relocated to Perth with her parents in 2005. Hunter continued playing tennis and returned to Queensland the following year to represent Western Australia in the Bruce Cup in Mackay in August 2006 and to compete in the Head Queensland State Age Championships in Rockhampton in September 2006.

Hunter went to high school at Kolbe Catholic College but graduated from the School of Isolated and Distance Education in Western Australia in 2011, after which she received a Melbourne-based tennis scholarship. In 2013, Hunter began attending the University of Canberra where she studied a Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree.

Storm's parents and younger brother all serve in the Australian Defence Force.

Professional career

2013

Hunter began her year ranked 674 in the world. Her first tournament was the Sydney International, where she received a wildcard into qualifying. She stunned Eugenie Bouchard in the first round in two tiebreak sets, but lost in the second round against Misaki Doi. She then received a wildcard into qualifying at the Australian Open where she lost in the first round against Yuliya Beygelzimer. In February, after failing to qualify for the Burnie International, Hunter celebrated a breakthrough victory, winning the $25k Launceston Tennis International. She won through both, the qualifying and main draws, without dropping a set. She also achieved the rare feat of defeating the top seeds in both the qualifying draw (Mari Tanaka) and the main draw (Olivia Rogowska) en route to victory. She reached the top 500 in the WTA rankings for the first time after the tournament win. A month later, she reached the final of the $25k event in Ipswich, Queensland, losing to Jelena Pandžić in three sets.

In July, together with her British partner Naomi Broady, Hunter won the $50k Gold River Challenger, defeating Robin Anderson and Lauren Embree, in straight sets.

In the US Open qualifying, she lost in the first round to Nigina Abduraimova from Uzbekistan. Hunter year rank was 242 in the world.

2014

Hunter began the season at the Brisbane International, having received a wildcard into qualifying. She opened with a three-set win over Irina-Camelia Begu. Although taking the opening set, Hunter lost against third seed Hsieh Su-wei in the second round, in three sets.

The following week, she was awarded a wildcard to the main draw of the Hobart International. A first-round win over Peng Shuai saw her match up with second seed Kirsten Flipkens. Pushing the top-20 ranked Belgian to the brink, Hunter lost in a tough three-set match, lasting over two and a half hours. Despite the close loss, it was announced that she had been given a wildcard into the singles main draw of the Australian Open, having been given wildcards for the doubles draw the previous two years. She played Camila Giorgi in round one, losing on her major singles debut, in three sets. She also lost in the first round of women's and mixed doubles.

2015

Given a wildcard for the Hobart International, Hunter lost in round one to Camila Giorgi, in three sets. She was then given a wildcard for the Australian Open, but lost at the first stage again, this time to world No. 46, Klára Koukalová, in straight sets.

2016

In July, she qualified for the Jiangxi International – the first time Hunter has come through qualifying at a WTA Tour-level event. She lost to Vania King in the first round. In October, she reached the second round of the Toowoomba ITF event. In November, she won the ITF Canberra doubles title with Jessica Moore.

2017: First WTA Tour doubles title

She attempted to qualify for the Hobart International and Australian Open, losing in the first round. Her best singles performance was a quarterfinal appearance in September at the ITF Brisbane.

In doubles, Hunter won the Nottingham Open, with Monique Adamczak in June. It was their first WTA Tour title. She made two further WTA tournament finals that year.

2018–2020: Extended two year hiatus, second WTA doubles title

Hunter played four doubles tournaments in 2018, losing all four in the first round. In 2019, she said "I started getting some shoulder pain which got more intense. I played the Aussie Open that year just focusing on doubles, but after that I stopped playing completely and was basically out for all of 2018."

Hunter returned to singles competition in October 2019, after almost a two-year absence. She won the Playford International in her second tournament back.
In doubles, she won four ITF Circuit titles in 2019.

She won her second WTA doubles title at the 2020 Thailand Open.

2021: First WTA quarterfinals, major & WTA 1000 debuts & top 150 in singles, major doubles semifinal

Hunter made the semifinals in mixed doubles at the Australian Open with Marc Polmans.

In February, she qualified for and defeated four higher-ranked opponents to advance to her first WTA-level singles quarterfinal at the Adelaide International, eventually losing to Belinda Bencic. In March, Hunter entered the WTA top 200 for the first time at No. 199 on 1 March 2021. She received a wildcard for her debut at the WTA 1000 level at the 2021 Miami Open and recorded her first win against qualifier Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

In May, she qualified for a Grand Slam tournament in singles for the first time at the French Open.

In June at Wimbledon, she reached the semifinals in women's doubles with Caroline Dolehide.

In July, Hunter reached her second WTA tour-level quarterfinal at the Prague Open. She also reached the semifinals in doubles at the same event. At the Tokyo Olympics, Hunter partnered Ashleigh Barty in the ladies' doubles and they reached the quarterfinals.

In November, Hunter represented Australia at the BJK Cup Finals. She recorded the biggest win of her singles career, beating world No. 18, Belgian Elise Mertens, in her BJK Cup debut. She then defeated Belarusian Yuliya Hatouka promoting Australia to the semifinals where she lost to Swiss Jil Teichmann.

2022: First WTA 1000 & 500 titles, US Open semifinal & mixed doubles title, world No. 8

In January 2022, Hunter won her third and the biggest WTA Tour title, at the Adelaide International, alongside Ashleigh Barty.

In doubles, she reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and at the Indian Wells Open, partnering Caroline Dolehide.
In singles, she entered the Miami Open as a lucky loser replacing seventh seed Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round.

Seeded as the top pair at the Madrid Open, she reached the semifinals of WTA 1000 for the first time in her career, and the quarterfinals at the Italian Open and at the Canadian Open partnering Zhang Shuai.

In September, Hunter reached the semifinals in doubles at the US Open also with Caroline Dolehide. At the same tournament, she teamed up with John Peers to win the mixed doubles title defeating Kirsten Flipkens and Édouard Roger-Vasselin in an epic three-set match.

The following month, Hunter won her first WTA 1000 title, partnering Luisa Stefani, at the Guadalajara Open. As a result, she stormed into the top 10 in the doubles rankings at world No. 8 on 24 October 2022.

2023: First Major final and Two WTA 1000 titles, first Major win and Wimbledon debut in singles, World No. 1 in doubles

She reached back-to-back quarterfinals at the Australian Open with new partner Elise Mertens but fell to Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

At the Miami Open, she qualified for the main draw but lost in the first round to Sofia Kenin. In doubles at the same tournament, she reached back-to-back quarterfinals with Mertens at a WTA 1000 level, following a quarterfinal showing in Indian Wells.

At the Italian Open, Hunter won her second WTA 1000 title partnering with Mertens. As a result, she reached world No. 5 in doubles on 22 May 2023.

She qualified for the 2023 French Open in singles for the second time at this tournament and recorded her first win at a Major over Nuria Párrizas Díaz. At the same tournament in doubles, she lost in the third round with Mertens to 15th seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova, and in mixed doubles, she reached the second round with compatriot John Peers.

She qualified for the singles main draw at Wimbledon, thus completing the set of Major appearances in singles.

She won her second WTA 1000 title with Mertens at the 2023 Guadalajara Open Akron and third at this level, defeating Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski. She reached world No. 2 in the doubles rankings on 25 September 2023. At the same tournament she won her first round match in singles against Irina Shymanovich, her first win at this level since Miami 2021. She lost to second seed and eventual finalist Maria Sakkari. With reaching the semifinals at the 2023 WTA Finals, Hunter became world No. 1 in doubles on 6 November 2023.

2024: Australian Open singles third round

Ranked No. 180, she qualified and reached the third round for the first time at a Major in singles at the 2024 Australian Open. Her performance ensured the deepest an Australian qualifier has progressed in an Australian Open women’s singles draw in 39 years. Her next tournament was the Mumbai Open where she reached the final but lost to Darja Semeņistaja in a three set match.

Personal life

Storm married Loughlin Hunter in November 2022 and took his surname.

Performance timelines

''Only main-draw results in WTA Tour, Grand Slam tournaments, Billie Jean King Cup (Fed Cup), United Cup, Hopman Cup and Olympic Games are included in win–loss records.''

Singles

''Current through the 2024 Dubai Tennis Champtionship.''

Doubles

''Current through the 2024 Dubai Tennis Champtionship.''

Mixed doubles

''Current after the 2024 Australian Open.''

Significant finals

Grand Slam tournaments

Women's doubles: 1 (runner-up)

Mixed doubles: 1 (title)

WTA 1000 tournaments

Doubles: 4 (4 titles)

WTA career finals

Doubles: 16 (8 titles, 8 runner-ups)

WTA Challenger finals

Singles: 1 (runner-up)

Doubles: 1 (title)

ITF Circuit finals

Singles: 5 (3 titles, 2 runner–ups)

Doubles: 22 (13 titles, 9 runner–ups)

Notes

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunter, Storm
1994 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Rockhampton
Australian female tennis players
Tennis players from Queensland
Olympic tennis players for Australia
Tennis players at the 2020 Summer Olympics
US Open (tennis) champions
Grand Slam (tennis) champions in mixed doubles
21st-century Australian women
Sportswomen from Queensland