16 August 2023 | Tennis West

WA’s Storm Hunter has received a main-draw singles wildcard to compete at the US Open.

The final Grand Slam tournament of 2023 will begin in New York on Monday 28 August.

World No.165 Hunter is set to compete in the singles main draw at all four Grand Slams in a calendar year for the first time in her career.

The 29-year-old has won 21 of her 32 singles matches so far this season, with highlights including qualifying at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. She also won her biggest career singles title to date at the ITF 60 tournament in Burnie in February and scored her third career top-30 victory against world No.22 Donna Vekic in Hamburg last month.

Hunter is also the top-ranked Australian in the doubles rankings at world No.4. She has won 33 of her 44 doubles matches this season and reached the semifinals or better in five of her past six tournaments.

Last month, Hunter became the first Australian in 10 years to reach a Wimbledon women’s doubles final.

“I’ve had some amazing memories on the court so far this year like qualifying for back-to-back Slams and making the final at Wimbledon was obviously very, very special,” Hunter said.

“To receive the US Open wildcard is just a really cool opportunity and I’m really thankful to Tennis Australia for believing in me and giving me this amazing opportunity. It’s something that I’m really grateful for and definitely wasn’t expecting.

“For me on the singles court there is still a lot that I feel that I can achieve which I haven’t yet. I think that I have so much more to give and to keep improving on, that’s really exciting and that’s also what’s motivating me.

“When I’ve been so high in doubles, it gives me that belief that why not in singles as well. I’m playing against all the same players and I do think that my level is good in singles so I want to keep pushing and hopefully the next few months I can do that.”

Fellow West Aussie Astra Sharma will compete in the Women’s Qualifying Draw in the hope of receiving a wildcard in the main draw of the US Open. The US Open 2023 singles qualifying competition begins on Tuesday 22 August.