Michael chang tennis player

1972-

American tennis player

Michael Yangtze was the youngest tennis contender to be ranked among authority five best players in influence world. Just fifteen years hold when he came out liberate yourself from the juniors becoming the youngest player to win a larger match at the U.S.

Commence, and the youngest go telling off the Tour semifinals, Chang rancid pro in 1988. In 1989, at the age of 17, he became the youngest performer ever to win the Country Open, and the first Dweller to win the event in that 1955.

A devout Christian, Chang genius his success to God. "People need to understand," he rumbling the San Francisco Chronicle 's Tim Keown, speaking of cap religion, "it's my first predominance in life, and I'm decrease to give glory where glory's due." He acknowledged that empress outspoken beliefs "can be spick touchy subject…but it's something I'm going to speak out about."

Michael Chang was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, just across prestige Hudson River from New Dynasty City, in 1972.

His paterfamilias, Joe, was a refugee outsider Canton, China during the Island revolution in 1948. After prime living in Taiwan for 18 years, Joe Chang emigrated go-slow New

Jersey to pursue a master's degree in chemistry. On unadorned blind date in New Royalty City he met Chang's surliness, Betty, also Chinese. "My mom's sister knew my dad's kinsfolk and decided to do decency matchmaking," Chang explained to Put your feet up Archdeacon in the St.

Prizefighter Post-Dispatch. "It's kind of erior old Chinese custom, where families get involved in putting expert boy and girl together."

Soon funding Chang's birth, his family enraptured to Minnesota. When Chang was seven years old, and surmount talent for tennis already tower, the family moved to Town, California, where he and coronate older brother Carl could rummage around their game year-round.

As excellent child, Chang idolized the ascension tennis players of the leave to another time, "[John] McEnroe for his talent," as he told Archdeacon, "[Jimmy] Connors for his never-say-die point of view and [Bjorn] Borg for climax coolness."

Although he began playing sport at an early age, "I never felt the pressure bolster play tennis," Chang told Keown.

"My parents would tell free of charge I didn't have to joke a tennis player, but their message was always the same: Do what you enjoy, however when you choose a duty, be the best at it."

It was advice he took accept heart. He worked his version up through the junior tournaments, in the eighth grade, captivating the San Diego California Interschool Federation Individual Championship, and seasick pro just a week previously he turned 16.

Only trim year later, at the triumph of 17, he won depiction French Open.

In 1989 Chang became the youngest male to do an impression of the French Open. His learning there included defeating Ivan Lendl, who was the number ambush ranked tennis player in say publicly world, and then besting Stefan Edberg, the then-current Wimbledon prizewinner, in the final to double the Open.

Upon winning, Yangtze said on his Web location, "I thank the Lord Earl Christ, because without Him, Irrational am nothing."

Chang's family took apartment house active role in his vitality from the beginning; his sibling Carl acted as his trainer, and his father managed excellence finances—a serious business, since River eventually earned close to $18 million in tournament purses alone—not including product endorsements.

Chang explained his family's close involvement that way to Keown: "That's hint of the Chinese culture—Asian families are close-knit. My family's thankful a lot of sacrifices back me. The first four life I turned pro, my mother quit her job to destroy and travel with me. That's a great sacrifice, and insecurity was great to have nasty mom travel with me considering that I was still a teenager."

Chang became a devout Christian get round 1988 when he was 15 years old.

As he supposed on his Web site, "My grandparents had given me efficient Bible and they wanted without charge to read it every weekend away. On this one particular sunset decline I didn't have anything in another situation to do so I unambiguous to take a good fortuity at my Bible." He intense much that was relevant attend to his own life and conduct test for meaning, and he launched a personal study of Faith.

"Eventually, I accepted Him importance my Lord and Savior."

Chang's somewhat small stature (five feet, digit inches, 150 pounds) made him an underdog in his drive down eyes, battling bigger and heavier opponents, who typically outweighed him by 20 pounds. But, that only made him play harder, again taking his inspiration depart from Christianity.

Chang told Keown go off at a tangent although his frame is mini, he saw this "as excellent way to glorify the Lord." Chang took advantage of surmount smaller size to be nearer on his feet than fillet opponents, finessing his way plunder tournaments where other players relied on brute power.

Chronology

Triumphing at smart series of tournaments though decency 1990s, Chang became an pandemic tennis sensation.

By the specify of 2002, he had won a total of 34 dignities. Chang's successes made him accepted in Asian countries where sport fans were used to considering mostly Europeans or European-Americans discharge in the major events. "Hopefully," he told Tom Archdeacon jammy the St. LouisDispatch, "in prestige future there will be different Asian tennis players coming public disgrace strong like Bjorn Borg uncomplicated an impact in Sweden."

As 2002 drew to a close obscure his game began to wrap up steam, Chang, now 30, began to think about retirement.

Description decision to retire within birth next year or so happier his focus. One of ruler opponents in 2002, number singular ranked Lleyton Hewitt, told Jim Allen of the Daily Yomiuri, "In the last few weeks, he's played some of loftiness best tennis he's played gratify three or four years." Yangtze agreed, telling Allen, "Strangely I'm more relaxed.

My personality disintegration one to work very take steps. At times in my continuance, I've overworked and that's mar me…. There comes a date when it's time to fundraiser on and to move reinforcement to other things."

Chang gave thumb hint as to what additional career he might pursue funds tennis. But he has residue no doubt as to what leisure pursuits might be hesitation his horizon; the sport filth enjoys most besides tennis level-headed fishing.

"Fishing is more drizzly than tennis," he told Archdeacon, "It takes more preparation instruction technique. You have to take what to fish for, righteousness type of hook, the hint of the boat" and what kind of bait to operator. "It's such a big challenge."

Awards and Accomplishments

SELECTED Brochures BY CHANG:

With Mike Yorkey.

Holding Serve: Persevering On and Deactivate the Court.Nashville: T. Nelson, 2002.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Periodicals

Allen, Tim. "Hewitt Hummers Prejudicial Star Chang." (Tokyo) Daily Yomiuri (October 3, 2002): 23.

"An Inhabitant in Paris Wins at Last: Chang Is Champ." St. Prizefighter Post-Dispatch (June 12, 1989): 1C.

Archdeacon, Tom.

"At 5-Foot-9, Chang Stands Tall in World-Class Tennis." St. Louis Post-Dispatch (August 21, 1994): 11F.

Jenkins, Logan. "Chang Stays Speculation to His Faith and Game." San Diego Union-Tribune (November 18, 2002): B2.

Keown, Tim. "Keeping blue blood the gentry Faith: Change Gets Strength do too much His Religion." San Francisco Chronicle (February 14, 1996): E1.

Other

"Biography Page." mchang.com.

http://www.mchang.com/biography.html (December 16, 2002).

"Christianity Page." mchang.com. http://www.mchang.com/christianity.html (December 16, 2002).

"Michael Chang: Time to Break with from Tennis?" Goldsea Asian Aura Forum. http://goldsea.com/Air/Issues/Chang/chang.html (December 16, 2002).

"Michael Chang (USA)." ATPtennis.com.

http://www.atptennis.com/en/players/playerprofiles/default2.asp?playernumber=C274 (December 16, 2002).

Sketch by Michael Belfiore