Introduction
Storm Sanders (born 11 August 1994 in Rockingham) is an Australian tennis player.
Sanders has won one singles title and twelve doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. On 10 February 2014, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 202. On 9 October 2017, she peaked at No. 63 in the doubles rankings.
Sanders debuted on the ITF junior circuit in December 2007, and on the senior circuit in November 2008. She won her first professional tournament in February 2013.
Professional career
2013
Sanders began her year ranked 674 in the world. Her first tournament was the Apia International Sydney, where she received a wildcard into qualifying. She stunned Eugenie Bouchard in the first round in two tiebreak sets, but lost in the second round against Misaki Doi. Sanders then received a wildcard into qualifying at the Australian Open where she lost in the first round against Yuliya Beygelzimer. In February, after failing to qualify for the McDonald's Burnie International, Sanders celebrated a breakthrough victory, winning the $25,000 Launceston Tennis International tournament. She won through both, the qualifying and main draws, without dropping a set. She also achieved the rare feat of defeating the top seeds in both the qualifying draw (Mari Tanaka) and the main draw (Olivia Rogowska) en route to victory. Sanders reached the top 500 in the WTA rankings for the first time after the tournament win. A month later, she reached the final of the $25,000 event in Ipswich, Queensland, losing to Jelena Pandžić in three sets.
In July, together with her British partner Naomi Broady, Sanders won the $50,000 Gold River Women's Challenger, defeating Robin Anderson and Lauren Embree in straight sets.
In US Open qualifying, Sanders lost in the first round to Uzbekistan's Nigina Abduraimova.
2014
Sanders began the season at the Brisbane International, after receiving a wild card into qualifying. She opened with a three set win over Irina-Camelia Begu. Although taking the opening set, Sanders lost against third seed Hsieh Su-wei in three sets in the second round.
The following week, Sanders was awarded a wild card to the main draw of the Hobart International. A first-round win over Peng Shuai saw her match up with second seed Kirsten Flipkens in the second round. Pushing the top-20 ranked Belgian to the brink, Sanders lost in a tough three set match, lasting over two and a half hours. Despite the close loss, it was announced that Sanders had been given a wildcard into the singles main draw of the Australian Open, having been given wild cards for the doubles draw the previous two years. She played Camila Giorgi in round one, losing on her Grand Slam singles debut in three sets. She also lost in the first round of women's and mixed doubles.
2015
Given a wild card for the Hobart International, Sanders lost in round one to Camila Giorgi in three sets. She was then given a wild card for the Australian Open, but lost at the first stage again, this time to world No. 46 Klára Koukalová in straight sets.
2016
In July, she qualified for the Jiangxi International - the first time Sanders has come through qualifying at a WTA-level event.
WTA career finals
Doubles: 4 (2 titles, 2 runner-ups)
| Legend |
|---|
| WTA Tour Championships (0–0) |
| WTA Elite Trophy (0–0) |
| Premier Mandatory & Premier 5 (0–0) |
| Premier (0–0) |
| International (2–2) |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | Jun 2017 | Nottingham Open, United Kingdom | International | Grass | Monique Adamczak | Jocelyn Rae Laura Robson |
6–4, 4–6, [10–4] | |
| Loss | Sep 2017 | Japan Women's Open, Japan | International | Hard | Monique Adamczak | Shuko Aoyama Yang Zhaoxuan |
0–6, 6–2, [5–10] | |
| Loss | Sep 2017 | Guangzhou Open, China | International | Hard | Monique Adamczak | Elise Mertens Demi Schuurs |
2–6, 3–6 | |
| Win | Feb 2020 | Hua Hin Championships, Thailand | International | Hard | Arina Rodionova | Barbara Haas Ellen Perez |
6–3, 6–3 |
ITF Circuit finals
Singles: 4 (2 titles, 2 runner–ups)
| Finals by surface |
|---|
| Legend |
| $100,000 tournaments |
| $80,000 tournaments |
| $60,000 tournaments |
| $25,000 tournaments |
| $15,000 tournaments |
| $10,000 tournaments |
| Finals by surface |
| Hard (2–2) |
| Clay (0–0) |
| Grass (0–0) |
| Carpet (0–0) |
| $100,000 tournaments |
| $80,000 tournaments |
| $60,000 tournaments |
| $25,000 tournaments |
| $15,000 tournaments |
| $10,000 tournaments |
| Hard (2–2) |
| Clay (0–0) |
| Grass (0–0) |
| Carpet (0–0) |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | Feb 2013 | ITF Launceston, Australia | 25,000 | Hard | Shuko Aoyama | 6–4, 6–4 | |
| Loss | Mar 2013 | ITF Ipswich, Australia | 25,000 | Hard | Jelena Pandžić | 5–7, 6–2, 2–6 | |
| Loss | Sep 2015 | ITF Tweed Heads, Australia | 15,000 | Hard | Dalma Gálfi | 2–6, 6–3, 1–6 | |
| Win | Nov 2019 | ITF Playford, Australia | 60,000 | Hard | Lizette Cabrera | 6–3, 6–4 |
Doubles: 20 (12 titles, 8 runner–ups)
| Finals by surface |
|---|
| Legend |
| $100,000 tournaments |
| $80,000 tournaments |
| $50,000/60,000 tournaments |
| $25,000 tournaments |
| $15,000 tournaments |
| $10,000 tournaments |
| Finals by surface |
| Hard (8–7) |
| Clay (3–0) |
| Grass (1–2) |
| Carpet (0–0) |
| $100,000 tournaments |
| $80,000 tournaments |
| $50,000/60,000 tournaments |
| $25,000 tournaments |
| $15,000 tournaments |
| $10,000 tournaments |
| Hard (8–7) |
| Clay (3–0) |
| Grass (1–2) |
| Carpet (0–0) |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | May 2011 | ITF Landisville, United States | 10,000 | Hard | Brooke Rischbieth | Hsu Chieh-yu Nicola Slater |
5–7, 3–6 | |
| Loss | May 2011 | ITF Sumter, United States | 10,000 | Hard | Ebony Panoho | Bojana Bobusic Nicola Slater |
6–4, 5–7, [6–10] | |
| Loss | Sep 2011 | ITF Alice Springs, Australia | 25,000 | Hard | Brooke Rischbieth | Maria Fernanda Alves Samantha Murray |
6–3, 5–7, [3–10] | |
| Loss | Nov 2011 | ITF Bendigo, Australia | 25,000 | Hard | Samantha Murray | Stephanie Bengson Tyra Calderwood |
6–2, 1–6, [5–10] | |
| Loss | Mar 2013 | ITF Ipswich, Australia | 25,000 | Hard | Viktorija Rajicic | Noppawan Lertcheewakarn Varatchaya Wongteanchai |
6–4, 1–6, [8–10] | |
| Win | Jul 2013 | ITF Sacramento, United States | 50,000 | Hard | Naomi Broady | Robin Anderson Lauren Embree |
6–3, 6–4 | |
| Win | Jan 2014 | ITF Burnie, Australia | 50,000 | Hard | Jarmila Gajdošová | Eri Hozumi Miki Miyamura |
6–4, 6–4 | |
| Win | Jul 2014 | ITF Sacramento, United States | 50,000 | Hard | Daria Gavrilova | Maria Sanchez Zoe Gwen Scandalis |
6–2, 6–1 | |
| Loss | Jun 2015 | ITF Baton Rouge, United States | 25,000 | Hard | Chanel Simmonds | Samantha Crawford Emily Harman |
6–7, 1–6 | |
| Win | Jul 2015 | ITF Granby, Canada | 50,000 | Hard | Jessica Moore | Laura Robson Erin Routliffe |
7–5, 6–2 | |
| Win | Oct 2015 | ITF Cairns, Australia | 25,000 | Hard | Jessica Moore | Jennifer Elie Asia Muhammad |
6–0, 6–3 | |
| Loss | Jun 2016 | ITF Ilkley, United Kingdom | 50,000 | Grass | An-Sophie Mestach | Yang Zhaoxuan Zhang Kailin |
3–6, 6–7 | |
| Win | Oct 2016 | ITF Canberra, Australia | 50,000 | Hard | Jessica Moore | Alison Bai Lizette Cabrera |
6–3, 6–4 | |
| Win | May 2017 | ITF Wiesbaden, Germany | 25,000 | Clay | Vivian Heisen | Diāna Marcinkēviča Rebeka Masarova |
7–5, 5–7, [10–8] | |
| Win | Jun 2017 | ITF Surbiton, United Kingdom | 100,000 | Grass | Monique Adamczak | Chang Kai-chen Marina Erakovic |
7–5, 6–4 | |
| Loss | Mar 2019 | ITF Mildura, Australia | 25,000 | Grass | Olivia Rogowska | Alana Parnaby Alicia Smith |
6–4, 3–6, [8–10] | |
| Win | May 2019 | ITF Rome, Italy | 25,000 | Clay | Arina Rodionova | Gabriela Ce Cristina Dinu |
6–2, 6–3 | |
| Win | May 2019 | ITF La Bisbal D'Emporda, Spain | 60,000 | Clay | Arina Rodionova | Dalma Galfi Georgina Garcia-Perez |
6–4, 6–4 | |
| Win | Nov 2019 | ITF Playford, Australia | 60,000 | Hard | Asia Muhammad | Naiktha Bains Tereza Mihalíková |
6–3, 6–4 | |
| Win | Jan 2020 | ITF Burnie, Australia (2) | 60,000 | Hard | Ellen Perez | Desirae Krawczyk Asia Muhammad |
6–3, 6–2 |