Sanders turning the corner on an injury-riddled career
Storm Sanders has had more than her fair share of bad luck.
Issues with her back, shoulder, hamstrings, ankle and even an auto-immune disease (Ankylosing spondylitis) riddled her early career, but the 26-year-old Australian is fighting back in style.
Now ranked at a career-high No. 147, fresh off the back of a maiden main draw appearance at Roland Garros and so close to qualifying for Wimbledon for the first time (she ultimately fell to Clara Burel in three sets in the final round), it’s safe to say Sanders is in a very good place, on court and off, and keen to keep it going.
“I think this is the best tennis I’ve played,” she said in Roehampton on Thursday. “I’ve been getting career-high rankings in singles and doubles every week, I think, for the last three or four weeks, so it’s been really fun. I’m really enjoying it.
“I want to keep going and try to crack the Top 100. It’s not easy. There’s a lot of good girls between 100 – 150. It’s going to take a lot more wins, but I’m just super excited. When you’re playing well you want to keep playing tournaments each week and give yourself the best chance. I think I’m doing a really good job of that.”
When back and shoulder trouble proved overwhelming in November 2017, Sanders stepped away from the singles court for almost two years.
She returned in October 2019 to find that the recovery time had done her the world of good. Sanders won her second career singles title in just her second tournament back on the ITF World Tennis Tour on home soil at W60 Playford and has gone from gone from strength to strength ever since - peaking with an "incredible experience" at Roland Garros earlier this month. There, she made her fourth Grand Slam main draw appearance (to add to her three wild card appearances at the Australian Open between 2014-2016), albeit falling to Elise Mertens.
Though the Rockhampton native is looking to play more WTA events and fewer at ITF level, Sanders appreciates the importance of that interim step in helping hone her match toughness.
"It can be tough," she admitted. "Sometimes playing the ITFs you play a lot more matches. You feel good playing matches. You’re back playing singles and doubles on the same day – two matches a day for a whole week. It can be brutal, but if you can do that and then get to the WTA Tour you’re like ‘ah, I have a rest day!’, you have less matches and a bit more time to rest and recover.
"The ITF level has definitely helped me prepare for WTA level. I just want to keep it going."
As her opportunities to play at the highest level increase (Sanders has played WTA events in Adelaide, Miami and Charleston this year as well as her Grand Slam showing in Paris), she remains wary of pushing beyond her physical capabilities.
“I manage my body really well,” Sanders said. “I’m on the road for a long time because I can’t go back to Australia, so I have to be very smart about my training – take some rest days if I need to. As I’ve gotten older I’ve got better at listening to my body.
“My body’s feeling good now. I’ve played a lot of singles matches – I haven’t played this many matches for maybe three or four years. But the body’s feeling good, I’m super pumped to be back playing singles, to be healthy, and getting some wins is always a bonus.”