'I had unfinished business': Emotional Storm Hunter and Aussie love story prevail to AO main draw

(AAP/James Ross)

When Storm Hunter ruptured her Achilles just days before Australia's BJK Cup qualifier against Mexico in April 2024, the road to recovery was always going to pose a challenge.

So when the 31-year-old defeated American and former world No.1 doubles player Taylor Townsend 7-6(2), 6-2 to qualify for the Australian Open main draw, it was only natural that she dropped to the court with tears streaming down her face.

"I just felt like I had unfinished business. I felt like I haven't achieved what I feel I can in singles," said Hunter, who is also a former doubles world No.1. "This is  what I came back to tennis [for], to play these moments.

"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."

It was only 12 months ago that Hunter was doing commentary for the Australian Open, not knowing if she would ever take to the singles court again.

" 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.

Later in the day, Maddison Inglis and fiancé Jason Kubler were playing their respective third round qualifying matches simultaneously, as was the case in round two.

Despite letting a 4-1 lead and five match points evaporate, Inglis held her nerve to close it out 6-4, 6-4 on Court 7 against Germany's Tamara Korpatsch.

"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 qualies," Inglis said.

"But yeah, I'm so excited. I can't believe I'm back in the main draw in Melbourne. It's so exciting."

Inglis had lost in the third round of qualifying at Melbourne Park in 2024 and 2025, but she will compete in her first Grand Slam main draw since the 2022 Australian Open, where she reached the third round.

"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 to do it in front of that crowd also meant the world," she beamed with joy.

Trailing one set against the seventh seed and Next Gen finalist Alexander Blockx, Kubler prevailed due to an injury retirement from his Belgian opponent to progress to the main draw 3-6, 6-3, 1-0.

Inglis added: "I'm so happy for [Jason]. 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."

The first Aussie to qualify for the main draw was Dane Sweeny after taking out Stefano Travaglia on a more-than-packed ANZ Stadium.

At the start of 2025, Sweeny was ranked No.680, but has since climbed to 182nd in the world.

It will mark the 24-year-old's second Australian Open main draw appearance.