Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 6 April 2025 | Matt Trollope

Storm Hunter admitted it felt good to see her doubles ranking soar more than 1000 places higher after her recent Miami Open quarterfinal run with Caroline Dolehide.

The Australian, in the early stages of her comeback after rupturing her Achilles tendon, had slipped to world No.1482 as a result of almost a year out of competition.

But those match wins in Miami have boosted her back up to 334th and added some spring to her step as she returns home to represent Australia in next week’s Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers.

OFFICIAL PROGRAM: Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers (AUS-COL-KAZ)

TICKETS: Get tickets to the Billie Jean King Cup via Ticketmaster

“I know it’s really hard to get back to the top 10, top 20 in doubles – it’s something I don’t take for granted, I know that I have to work really hard to get back up there,” Hunter told tennis.com.au after a team training session in Brisbane.

“So I’m just taking it one step at a time, not trying to be impatient and trying to rush it and expect things to happen. It’s not every day you go up 1000 places, so trying to celebrate those moments as well.

“Even with my shoulder injury five, six years ago, when I was out and had no ranking, every week that I moved up a little bit, my family would screen-shot the ranking being like, OK, you moved up a little bit more.

“And it was really cool, because then I ended up getting to No.1, and I have all of these screenshots over like three or four years of my ranking progression.

“So kind of doing the same thing again now.”

READ MORE: Birrell thrilled to “smash through” top 100 goal

Hunter was targeting a return to the tour at Indian Wells but actually made her comeback a week earlier, in Austin.

It was a three-tournament circuit through the United States that got her back into the swing of travelling and competing, and means she returns to Billie Jean King Cup play – her favourite weeks on tour – with some wind in her sails.

It remains to be seen if she is selected to play for the Aussie team that meets Kazakhstan on Thursday and Colombia on Saturday.

Yet Hunter is simply thrilled to be back in the fold and is enjoying the energy among the team as it targets a return to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals – this year being held for the first time in Shenzhen, China.

TIE INFORMATION: Australia – Colombia – Kazakhstan

“When I had my injury 12 months ago now, it was a huge goal to be a part of the team here in the Billie Jean King Cup. When [captain] Sam [Stosur] asked me I was really, really excited, because she’s taking a gamble on me – I haven’t played much,” she said.

“But I feel like I’m hitting the ball well, my body feels really good. Just really good vibes among the team; we have a few young’uns actually, so it’s keeping everything kind of light and bubbly and fresh, which is really nice.

“Everyone’s honestly hitting amazing. It’s actually crazy; we were talking this morning, like, oh my god, everyone’s feeling the ball really well. And I think it’s that comfort of being home, being back in Australia after being on the road for the past five, six weeks.

“Just being part of the team, I think it always brings out the best in a lot of the Australian players.”

Australia faces Kazakhstan on 10 April and Colombia on 12 April at Pat Rafter Arena. Get your tickets via Ticketmaster and follow the action on 9Gem and 9Now.