Storm Hunter Makes History at US Open
Storm Hunter’s long road to New York has already made history. Now comes the fun part.
The 32-year-old Australian, a late-blooming force who has rebuilt her career more than once, has qualified for the US Open main draw for the first time and in doing so sent statisticians scrambling. Officials could confirm only one thing with certainty: Hunter is the first active Australian player ever to qualify for all four grand slams. Very few players anywhere can say the same.
It is a niche club. It is also a hard-earned one.
Hunter had to grind through three brutal qualifying rounds at Flushing Meadows to complete the set. She opened by knocking out compatriot and close friend Maddison Inglis, then survived two match points in her second match, and finally endured a 24-hour weather delay before sealing a third straight sudden-death victory.
“This is the last slam on my list to tick off to get through qualies and coming in I hadn't played many singles matches in the last few months so, yeah, it feels amazing,” Hunter said, the relief obvious.
For Hunter, just being back here carries its own weight. She missed more than a year after rupturing her Achilles tendon and returns to the US Open main draw for the first time since 2023, a reminder of how fragile a tennis career can be and how stubborn she has been in refusing to let hers fade.
Her prize for all that perseverance? One of the most dangerous players on the tour.
On day one she will face 11th seed Marta Kostyuk, the big-hitting Ukrainian who has surged into the semifinals at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon this season. Few opening rounds look tougher on paper.
“Yeah, it's tough,” Hunter admitted. The one-time world No.1 doubles specialist knows exactly what she is walking into. “She's obviously having a really good year. She's a great player, very physical with the way she plays and a really good competitor.
“So it's going to be tough. Obviously a very quick turnaround from playing qualifiers to my first round tomorrow, but I'm feeling good and she's the one who's under all the pressure to play against me and I have practised with her before.
“I know what her level is and I know it's going to be a challenge, but I'm up for a challenge. It's going to be fun. I'm going to enjoy it.
“There's been lots of times in my career I didn't think I'd be back playing at this level, so to be back in the main draw of a slam is awesome, and I'm just going to go out and enjoy it and give it a good crack.”
That is the essence of Hunter now: perspective sharpened by injury, ambition tempered but not dulled, a qualifier who has nothing to lose against a seed who suddenly has everything to protect.
She will not be the only Australian on court as the tournament opens.
- Kim Birrell meets Petra Marcinko, while Talia Gibson also faces Croatian opposition in experienced campaigner Donna Vekic.
- Rising talent Taylah Preston takes on American Alycia Parks in a test of nerve and firepower.
On the men’s side, Adam Walton faces China’s Yibing Wu and Aleksandar Vukic plays Japan’s Rei Sakamoto in the only first-round outings for the Australian men on Monday.
Sixth seed Alex de Minaur begins his campaign on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST), carrying the flag as the leading Australian hope.
Hunter, though, arrives with a different kind of momentum. No ranking protection, no seeding, no guarantees. Just a rare slice of history already secured, a body finally cooperating, and a shot at one of the form players of the season on one of the sport’s loudest stages.
For a player who once wondered if she would ever stand here again, what better way to find out exactly how high this latest climb can go?
