Storm Hunter rocketed into the Australian Open main draw on Thursday, earning a spot in a Grand Slam singles main draw for the first time since returning from serious injury in early 2025.
The 31-year-old defeated American Taylor Townsend 7-6(6) 6-2, before compatriot Maddison Inglis joined her in the main draw with a 6-4 6-4 triumph over Tamara Korpatsch, sealed on her sixth match point.
Given Jason Kubler and Dane Sweeny also won their final-round matches on Thursday, it meant four Australians qualified for the AO main draw – the most since 1992.
“ I just felt like I had unfinished business. I felt like I haven’t achieved what I feel I can in singles,” Hunter, the former doubles world No.1, told reporters at Melbourne Park.
“This is what I came back to tennis [for], to play these moments,” she added, revealing she was unsure if she’d ever make it back to her best level while recovering from a ruptured Achilles.
“In a way I was fighting with myself for a long time, feeling a little bit… hard done by, with my injury in the sense that I … got injured at career high ranking and felt like it wasn’t fair.
“Once I kind of turned that mindset away from feeling sorry for myself and just was like, you know what? It’s a new challenge. Let’s just give it a crack and see.”
She gave it more than a crack, winning a tightly fought first set in a tiebreak before sweeping the second set in a relatively straightforward manner, finishing with an ace which surprised even her.
“ [I] kind of rode the momentum and then somehow finished with an ace, which never happens for me,” she laughed.
“So I was very happy after I hit that ace.”
The West Australian made just 14 unforced errors to Townsend’s 36, and won 40 per cent of her break points against the current world No.2 doubles star.
Hunter recalled spending last Australian Open doing media commentary, unsure if she would qualify for singles.
“ I was up in the com boxes and struggling to get a court to practice my 45 minutes a day, not moving much and… dreamed of being back here,” she said.
But with three consecutive qualifying wins under her belt, Hunter was no longer thinking about her Achilles and felt she could “go out and play freely”.
“ I feel like I just want to keep going as long as I can. I absolutely… love playing tennis.
“ You don’t know when you get older what’s going to happen with your body… that keeps me motivated… I know I’ve got limited time and that’s okay.”
Storm Hunter will now face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP) in round one of the main draw.
Inglis qualifies for first AO main draw
After reaching the third round of AO qualifying the past two years and falling at the final hurdle in three sets on both occasions, Inglis’ win on Thursday over Korpatsch was especially sweet.
“It was a massive few days and I’m pretty tired, to be honest. They were three really tough matches and it’s so tough to come through quallies,” she said.
“But yeah, I’m so excited. I can’t believe I’m back in the main draw in Melbourne. It’s so exciting.”
The last time she was in the main draw, as a wildcard in 2022, she went all the way through to the third round.
After securing that sixth match point against Korpatsch, Inglis’s emotions could be felt across the crowd as she collapsed on court. “I’ve been hoping for that feeling for the last three years,” she explained. “So, for it to actually happen, I was overwhelmed with emotion.
“It means the world to do it here in Melbourne, with my family here and Jason [Kubler] on the side, and Pratty [Nicole Pratt] was there, and Sam [Stosur] was there with me every single match. So, yeah, to do it in front of that crowd also meant the world.”
For the newly engaged Inglis, hearing the news that her fiancé Kubler also progressed through to the AO main draw was almost as exciting as her own good news.
“I’m so happy for him. He deserves it,” she said. “He’s had a tough few years with injuries and I’m sure it means a world to him too.”
Inglis will now face fellow Aussie Kimberly Birrell, meaning at least one Australian will feature in the second round.
Other West Aussies in main draw:
Talia Gibson meets world No.62 Anna Blinkova for the first time, while Taylah Preston seeks to avenge her Brisbane International qualifying loss from last week against world No.73 Shuai Zhang.
In the men’s main draw, Tristan Schoolkate, who starts the year inside the top-100 for the first time after a breakout 2025, meets French 32nd-seed Corentin Moutet.
All the action starts on Sunday.
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