In April 2024, Storm Hunter stood atop the doubles’ world.

She had reached world No. 1 for the first time just months earlier and was holding steady at No. 3. Fresh off her fourth WTA 1000 doubles title in Dubai with partner Katerina Siniakova, the duo had also reached the final in Indian Wells.

Then misfortune struck. While practicing ahead of Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Mexico, Hunter ruptured her Achilles tendon. Surgery followed, sidelining her for nearly 12 months.

Her comeback has produced steady results, seeing her climbing from No. 1502 in the PIF WTA Doubles Rankings, but wins had eluded her.

Until now.

This week, Hunter reached out to Siniakova in hopes of reuniting in Wuhan. In their first tournament together in 19 months, they picked up where they left off in Indian Wells, although this time around they did one better. The pair defeated Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic 6-3, 6-2 in 69 minutes to win the Dongfeng · Voyah Wuhan Open.

“Thank you, Kat, for saying yes to playing with me,” Hunter said during the trophy presentation. “I was really happy to play together again after such a long time. You’re an amazing player. You’re world No. 1 for a reason, but also a good friend. I had so much fun on the court with you this week, so thank you for saying yes. I can’t believe we won the title.”

Hunter also thanked those who supported her through her injury and recovery.

“Thank you to my husband and my team back home — my coach, physio, fitness trainer and my family,” she said. “Last year was a really hard time for me, and they helped me day by day through some hard moments. This win is for them as much as it’s for me. Thank you for believing in me, pushing me and supporting me. I wouldn’t be here without you.”

The title is Hunter’s first since returning from injury and the ninth WTA doubles title of her career, including five WTA 1000s. She also won the 2022 US Open mixed doubles title with fellow Australian John Peers and was a Wimbledon finalist in 2023 with Elise Mertens.

For Siniakova, it marks her second WTA 1000 title of the season, having won Dubai earlier this year with Taylor Townsend. It’s her fourth title of 2025, overall.

The win adds to an already decorated career for the current world No. 1. Siniakova now holds 32 WTA doubles titles, including 10 Grand Slams, six WTA 1000s, a gold medal and a WTA Finals. She also owns a Wimbledon mixed doubles title with Sem Verbeek from earlier this year, another gold medal in mixed doubles and five singles titles.

Siniakova’s success in China: The Wuhan title adds to Siniakova’s strong track record on Chinese soil. It’s her third doubles title in China, where she’s reached four finals. She also owns two singles titles there, including her most recent one in 2023.

China has been the site of all three of her WTA 1000 singles quarterfinals, including this year’s run in Wuhan, where she lost to eventual finalist Jessica Pegula in three sets.

Over the past three years, Siniakova ranks second in WTA singles wins in China with 18, trailing only Coco Gauff’s 21.

“I love coming back here,” Siniakova said during the trophy presentation. “I do a great job here, so I really enjoy it every time. Thank you to everyone who makes it feel like home.”

Rankings watch: Following their title, Siniakova extends her lead over Townsend in the race for world No. 1, now holding a nearly 800-point advantage. The duo has already clinched a spot in the WTA Finals in Riyadh this November.

Hunter, who had fallen outside the top 1500, will jump to No. 39 when the updated rankings are released Monday.

Danilina, a finalist in Wuhan for the second straight year, drops one spot to No. 13 after failing to defend her title. Meanwhile, her new partner, Krunic, will climb to a career-best No. 23 in the rankings.

Path to the title: Hunter and Siniakova dominated from the start of the week, opening with a 6-1, 6-0 win over the Americans, Pegula and Ashlyn Krueger. They advanced to the quarterfinals via walkover after the No. 2 seeds Mertens and Veronika Kudermetova withdrew.

They dropped just nine games between the quarters and semis, including a 6-3, 6-0 win over Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls to reach the final.

In the final, the result was never truly in doubt, as Hunter and Siniakova broke early for a 2-1 lead and closed out the first set in just over 30 minutes.

Danilina and Krunic briefly rallied to go up 2-0 in the second set, but it wasn’t meant to be for the duo on this particular occasion, as Hunter and Siniakova stormed back to win the final six games and capture their third trophy together.