Tennis Australia crew members gathered on Thursday at KIA Enviornment to have a good time Storm Hunter, who completed the 2023 season because the doubles world No.1.
Melbourne, VIC, 23 November 2023 | Matt Trollope
Storm Hunter grew to become emotional on Thursday at Melbourne Park as she continued to course of her unbelievable achievement of ending 2023 because the doubles world No.1.
The 29-year-old secured the milestone in a whirlwind, rain-affected 48 hours on the WTA Finals in Cancun, earlier than instantly jetting to Seville to characterize Australia on the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
She solely just lately returned residence to Melbourne, and the enormity of the accomplishment continued to sink in.
“It wasn’t till after (the Billie Jean King Cup) that I form of bought to take a seat down and replicate and have a good time with the crew in Spain, which was wonderful. And now being residence and having a while to replicate… truthfully I’m speechless nonetheless, I can’t consider that’s occurred,” she mentioned at a media occasion at KIA Enviornment.
“Nevertheless it’s very nice to come back residence and revel in and have a good time.
“5 years in the past I wasn’t enjoying in any respect. I used to be right here on the Nationwide Tennis Centre, within the health club doing rehab each single day with my shoulder. I used to be out for a full yr, didn’t assume I used to be going to play tennis once more.
“That’s the largest factor with turning into world No.1, is trying again on my journey, and thru these moments of concern and doubt and questioning myself.”
Hunter teared up as she continued.
“Simply to have the ability to sit and be like, wow I bought by that, yeah, is absolutely wonderful,” she mentioned.
“I couldn’t try this with out the folks round me. Individuals from Tennis Australia who helped me so much in these moments, simply supported me, and didn’t doubt me in any respect — they gave me the idea once I didn’t have it myself. Which I’m tremendous grateful for.
“And clearly my mother and father, my household, and everybody else in my crew, I’m simply actually fortunate and really feel actually unbelievable and grateful to play this sport – I feel it’s an exquisite sport and we’re the luckiest folks on the earth to be concerned in tennis. And it’s a sport for all times.
“(I’m) trying ahead to January.”
Certainly, a number of high-performance crew members from the NTC attended on Thursday to recognise Hunter’s climb to the summit, as did Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley, Australian teammate Ellen Perez and husband Loughlin Hunter.
She thanked Tiley for scheduling her AO 2023 third-round doubles match on Rod Laver Enviornment – one in all her highlights of the season – in addition to Loughlin, who stop his job to journey with and assist her on tour full time.
“Thanks everybody for popping out – that is actually, actually particular,” mentioned Hunter, who was abroad for nearly 9 months in 2023.
“To see all these faces, some which were a part of my journey for a really very long time, since I used to be a 12 or 13-year-old in Perth… I actually recognize it.
“To be sincere, it’s at all times been a dream of mine to be world No.1, however I actually didn’t assume that it could occur to me.
“I had a very nice yr and coming into the WTA Finals I used to be sitting at No.3 on the earth, and form of knew there was just a little likelihood, however I used to be like, I don’t wish to consider it, simply in case it doesn’t occur. And the way may it occur to me? I’m simply Storm.”
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