In the world of tennis, the coach-athlete connection is often the secret ingredient to success. From being told she “wasn’t the most talented” to becoming a Grand Slam doubles champion and the World No.1 in doubles, Storm Hunter has had a remarkable journey. And a large part of it is thanks to her special bond with her long-time coach, Nicole Pratt. Hunter, who has been on a roll at the Australian Open, made her way into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. At 29. However, despite all the work she’s put in to achieve this, she credits her coach for it.

Their journey together, from the early days to recent triumphs, is filled with shared emotions and victories. But who is Nicole Pratt, the person who’s always stood by Hunter’s side? Here’s everything that you need to know about her.

Nicole Pratt has always been in Storm Hunter’s corner

Nicole Pratt started out as a professional tennis player herself. After turning pro in 1989 as an 18-year-old, she climbed through the ranks and became Australia’s No.1 ranked female tennis player in 2001. With one WTA singles title and nine doubles titles to her name, the 2002 US Open doubles semifinalist announced her retirement. That’s when she stepped into the realm of coaching.

Shortly after the announcement, she started coaching her compatriot, Casey Dellacqua. But a year later, they went their separate ways, one that led Pratt to Storm Hunter (née Sanders). In a journey that’s seen injuries and illness that almost had Hunter retiring to now being the World No.1 in doubles and the World No. 180 in singles, Pratt has had a huge role to play. That’s why she and Hunter could barely hold back tears when the 29-year-old overcame Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the second round of the Australian Open.

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In the post-match interview, Hunter revealed, “Pratty was the one that believed in me from the beginning, and she’s always backed me. To do this for her as well is amazing. She’s always been in my corner, no matter what. I’m so lucky. She’s definitely the best coach on tour, so I’m lucky to have her in my corner.” Nicole Pratt isn’t just an inspiration for Storm Hunter. She’s also the flagbearer for the growth of female coaches in Australia.

In 2020, Pratt was made the Coach Lead for Tennis Australia’s Females in Tennis initiative that aimed to boost the number of female coaches by 10% over four years. Her vision is way beyond victories. She aims to create a more inclusive tennis community and take Australian tennis to the next level, something she’s been working toward since being appointed for another significant role.

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Nicole Pratt on coaching Australia’s Billie Jean Cup players

Apart from being the head of Tennis Australia’s Female Tennis, Nicole Pratt is also the coach of Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup squad. Having already worked with some of the best names, like Casey Dellacqua and Daria Saville (née Gavrilova), she knows how to inspire her players. A simple message from her is what helped Storm Hunter progress to the third round. 

The 29-year-old revealed, “Pratty was like, ‘You’re an Aussie. Come on. Be tough, be tough. Good energy. That’s all you need to do. Just fight out there.’” As Hunter aims to continue the dream run at her home Slam, Pratt hopes to take her coaching journey to the next level. In her new role as the Billie Jean Cup team coach, Pratt has already worked on introducing foundation courses aimed at helping female students realize that tennis coaching is a possible career path. She has also supported the development of three Scholarship Coaches.

As reported by Tennis.com, Pratt expressed, “These are three newly created scholarship roles that have never existed before. Hopefully it sends a message that these opportunities are possible. Having those conversations is something we haven’t done before. Especially for these three scholarship holders, it’s going to pave the way for them to hopefully achieve their own aspirations within tennis and tennis coaching.”

Despite significant developments like equal prize money and equality, many challenges still need to be addressed in the tennis community. And there’s no doubt Nicole Pratt is working towards ensuring things that need to be talked about are actually discussed.

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