Abigail Tere-Apisah is the undisputed Queen of Pacific Island tennis.
In 2019, she became the first Pacific Island woman to win a pro singles title, which helped her return to the top 300 in the WTA rankings.
She also collected three gold medals at the last Pacific Games in Samoa, winning the women's singles title and the doubles and teams titles playing alongside her sister Marcia and cousins Violet and Patricia.
This month she added another accolade, after being inducted into the Georgia State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
PNG tennis player Abigail Tere-Apisah. Photo: Supplied
"I got an email just letting me know before it was going to be officially announced and I was shocked, surprised but really happy at the same time," she said.
"I obviously couldn't really tell anyone until it was announced, so I had to kind of keep it to myself for a whole week, but I'm really and really proud."
The 29 year old was a two-time All-American in 2012 and 2014. She set a school-record for match wins and reached the semi-finals of the NCAA Women's Tennis Singles Championship.
She even managed a win over future world number 87 Kristie Ahn, who was competing for Stanford University.
"When I was playing NCAA's maybe in my final year of college or my third year I played Kristie Ahn. I'd seen her on tour a couple of times and watched her play in the Grand Slams this year," she recalled.
"She actually retired after that second set, she was quite unwell, but I won that one so I'll claim it, absolutely."
As a senior in 2014, Abigail finished 15th in the college singles rankings and earned the University's Blue Carpet Award as Female Student-Athlete of the Year.
But she said her fondest memories were the friendships she formed with her team mates and fellow Georgia State Panthers in the Peach State.
PNG's Abigail Tere-Apisah and doubles partner Junri Namigata celebrate winning the US$25,000 ITF event in Hong Kong. Photo: Facebook/Abigail Tere-Apisah
"The team mates and the people and the travelling, it's a whole different scene being in college and trying to juggle university and be travelling at the same time but I really loved it," she said.
"You got to be in a team and sometimes tennis can be such an individual sport, especially now that I've been on tour and I could see that it can get really lonely travelling all the time.
"That's one thing I really miss about being in college is always being part of a team, travelling with a group of people and the friendships have stayed on."
Tennis sisters Marcia and Abigail Tere-Apisah are household names in PNG. Photo: Facebook
She thinks being in a team environment is part of the reason why her and her family do so well at the Pacific Games, because every couple of years she gets to play with them and compete together.
"It really is special and I like the environment of being in a group and the atmosphere and cheering on your team-mates. I don't know, it just makes me feel proud, especially during the Pacific Games and representing because I got to do it with my family."
Covid-19 put the brakes on Abigail's tennis career in 2020 but this year has brought an all new challenge as she welcomed her first child in August, a son Luca, with her partner, PNG football international Alwin Komolong.
"Last January actually was when I was starting to get back into the whole tournament after the Pacific Games in Samoa so I was really looking forward to that, but then obviously had to come back because of Covid," she said.
"I still kept training for the rest of the year but then with my dad passing it put everything on hold and now with the baby I guess everything has kind of changed for me now...but I'm still hoping and still trying, because I really do miss it, so hopefully I can pick up a racquet soon and see how I go."
She's been back home in Port Moresby since the start of the pandemic and said it's great to have her family around.
"It's quite nice because I have a lot of help here like my mum, my aunty, my sister, so within the first week I was able to go out and do things but with a new born it's also been hard with sleep...sometimes I get lazy and just sleep all day," she quipped.
After spending the last couple of months adjusting to her new life as a family of three, she admits the idea of getting back out on the tennis circuit and competing around the world has begun to enter her mind.
PNG Tennis women's doubles claim gold and silver at the 2019 Pacific Games. Photo: Facebook / Team PNG
"During my pregnancy I missed playing so much, going to the gym and working out and even still I feel that way and it's always been in the back of my mind throughout the whole pregnancy," she said.
"The last couple of weeks I have been talking about it and hopefully in the next couple of weeks if I actually try to start hitting the ball again it might come back to me, but it's something that I would still like to try and do, I'm just not sure how it would work with a baby now.
"But I think I definitely do want to try it out again next year and also you know with the Mini Games next year maybe that could be a start I'm not sure if I'm playing that or not, but I know there's a lot of mums on tour so it's possible."
She doesn't have to look far for a doubles partner or opponent either.
"I'm lucky I have my younger sister, she's at home at the moment and she's actually the head coach of the junior league squad and she's working with PNG Tennis and the junior programme here so if I'm wanting to get back on the court and if she has time and if she wants to and is up for it, there's definitely someone there."
"There's also another young player Eddie [Mera] who was also in the men's team for the Pacific Games that I can hit with."
