Hannah Storm on Courage, Tennis, and Owning the Moment

Before Hannah Storm became one of the most recognizable voices in sports broadcasting, she was just a kid growing up around sports—and wondering why no women were doing the talking. She would go on to change that. Storm became the first woman in American television history to solo-host a national sports show. She’s worked at CNN, NBC, CBS, and ESPN, covered everything from the NBA Finals to Wimbledon, and helped reshape the landscape for women in sports media—without ever losing her natural, conversational style.

“There weren’t women sportscasters when I started out, but I had grown up around sports,” she said. “So I always felt like sports wasn’t some kind of secret language… I try to broadcast that way… conversationally and in a welcoming way.”

“I had this belief in my heart that sports is something that everyone should enjoy… that you can talk about it in everyday terms and you can get excited about it. And I truly have believed… that sports is for everyone.”

Storm’s ability to connect is what made receiving the John Saunders Courage Award so meaningful. “Receiving an award when it comes to courage means everything,” she said. The moment held extra weight because of who it honored. “John Saunders is my colleague at ESPN… and just such an incredible guy and was one of the founding supporters of the V Foundation.” Saunders, who passed away in 2016, was a mentor to many. “To receive an honor in his name is just absolutely incredible.”

Above: Hannah Storm at the US Open. Source: Charlie Cowins from Belmont, NC, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Among the many sports Storm has covered, tennis holds a special place. She’s hosted major broadcasts and interviewed the sport’s biggest names, but what stands out most is the mental challenge players face. “With tennis, yeah, there’s a lot on those players,” she said. “You are by yourself. You can talk all you want about coaching or whatever, you are literally by yourself out there… there’s really nothing like that.”

She explained how tennis is different from just about every other sport. “You’re [not even alone] in golf… you at least have a caddy, right? But in tennis… you’re your own enterprise, you’re your own team, you are the face of everything. There’s nowhere else to turn to.”

That kind of pressure takes a rare level of composure. “Not just the ability to stand there on your own and when things are going terribly to reel yourself back in and pull out that victory… but then to go on the podium and sit in front of all these people with all these microphones… no teammates, no one to turn to… just all you.” Storm summed it up: “That takes a very specific kind of person… and a very specific kind of strength.”

Source: Charlie Cowins from Belmont, NC, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Storm’s on-air ease is built on serious preparation. “We get there hours ahead of time,” she said. “I do a lot of driving to work, so I listen to a lot of radio… I listen to different people’s perspectives as well… I listen to all of it.” When she arrives, she’s fully involved in shaping the show. “We write all our own copy… work with the producers on all the questions… so by the time you hit the air, you’re very, very informed. I was kind of over prepared because you never know what’s gonna happen… It just makes me more relaxed.”

Whether she’s covering a Grand Slam final or delivering the morning sports rundown, she brings clarity, warmth, and a fearless authenticity that’s opened doors for others to walk through. Her respect for the solitude of tennis, her belief in making sports feel accessible, and her trailblazing presence behind the mic have all helped reshape the culture around sports.

Video

=====

Written by Dave Kozlowski and edited by Florida Tennis Assistant Editor Alex Binstok. Top photo credit: Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick Gordon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.