Michael Chang facts for kids
Chang in 1994
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| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | Orange County, California, U.S. |
| Born | February 22, 1972 Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S. The same birthday as Linda Morris! |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Turned pro | 1988 |
| Retired | 2003 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach | José Higueras (1989) Carl Chang (1992–2003) |
| Prize money | US$19,145,632
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| Int. Tennis HoF | 2008 (member page) |
| Official website | mchang.com |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 662–312 (67.97%) (68.0%) |
| Career titles | 34 |
| Highest ranking | No. 2 (September 9, 1996) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1996) |
| French Open | W (1989) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1994) |
| US Open | F (1996) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | F (1995) |
| Grand Slam Cup | F (1991, 1992) |
| Olympic Games | 2R (1992) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 11–33 (25%) (25%) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 199 (April 19, 1993) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1990) |
| Coaching career | |
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| Michael Chang | |||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 張德培 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 张德培 | ||||||||||||||
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Michael Chang, born on February 22, 1972, is a famous American former professional tennis player and coach. He made history by becoming the youngest man ever to win a major tennis tournament called a Grand Slam. He won the French Open in 1989 when he was just 17 years and 109 days old.
Chang won 34 big singles titles during his career. He also reached the finals of Grand Slam tournaments three other times. In 1996, he reached his highest ranking, becoming the world's No. 2 tennis player. Even though he was shorter than most of his opponents, he was known for his amazing speed and defensive style of play.
In 2008, Michael Chang was honored by being added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Since 2014, he has been coaching another tennis player, Kei Nishikori.
Contents
Early Life and Tennis Beginnings
Michael Te-Pei Chang was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. His parents had moved to the United States from Taiwan.
His family later moved to different places like St. Paul, Minnesota, and then to California. These moves helped Michael and his older brother, Carl, get more chances to play tennis. Michael learned some Mandarin from his parents as he grew up. His mother even quit her job to travel with him when he started playing professionally.
Michael was so good at tennis that he left high school in tenth grade to focus on his professional career. He earned his GED, which is like a high school diploma, in 1988.
Michael Chang's Tennis Journey
Junior Tennis Success
Michael Chang first caught the eye of the tennis world when he was only 12 years old. He was an amazing junior player and set many "youngest-ever" records.
- At age 12, he won his first national title, the USTA Junior Hard Court singles.
- At age 13, he won the Fiesta Bowl 16s tournament.
- In 1987, at 15, he won another USTA Junior Hard Court singles, beating future star Pete Sampras.
- A month later, he won the most important junior event in America, the United States Nationals U18s tournament, defeating Jim Courier in the final. This win earned him a special entry into the US Open.
Becoming a Professional Player
On September 1, 1987, at just 15 years old, Chang became the youngest player to win a main match at the US Open. He defeated Paul McNamee in four sets. A month later, he reached the semifinals at a top-level professional tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona. This made him the youngest player to reach that stage.
In 1988, when he was 16, Chang won his first major singles title in San Francisco. He beat Johan Kriek in the final. During this tournament, he also impressively beat Mikael Pernfors, who had been a finalist at the 1986 French Open.
Winning the French Open
Michael Chang's most famous "youngest-ever" record came in 1989. He won the French Open at 17 years and 109 days old. This made him the youngest male player ever to win a Grand Slam title. In the final, he beat Stefan Edberg in a thrilling five-set match. Chang was the first American man to win the French Open since 1955.
His journey to the 1989 French Open title is also remembered for an amazing fourth-round match against Ivan Lendl. Lendl was the world's No. 1 player at the time and had won the French Open three times before.
Lendl had easily beaten Chang in a practice match the year before. He even told Chang that his serve wasn't good enough. Chang worked hard to improve. In their French Open match, Lendl won the first two sets easily. But Chang fought back, even though he got severe leg cramps in the fourth set. He thought about giving up but felt a strong desire to keep going.
To deal with his cramps, Chang used unusual tactics. He hit high "moon balls" to slow down the game and tried to win points quickly. These tactics confused Lendl. Chang even surprised Lendl with an under-arm serve. On the final point, Chang stood very close to the service line. Lendl then made a mistake, giving Chang the victory after a 4-hour and 37-minute match.
Chang went on to win his next matches and, seven days after the Lendl match, he defeated Stefan Edberg to lift the trophy. This made him the youngest men's champion in Grand Slam history.
Chang often talked about how important his French Open win was, especially because it happened around the time of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. He felt that his victory brought joy to Chinese people around the world during a difficult time.
In August 1989, Chang became the youngest player to be ranked in the world's top 5.
Later Career and Retirement
Chang reached three more Grand Slam finals after his 1989 French Open win:
- The 1995 French Open final (lost to Thomas Muster).
- The 1996 Australian Open final (lost to Boris Becker).
- The 1996 US Open final (lost to Pete Sampras).
He also had many other great wins, including beating Andre Agassi in the semifinals of the 1996 Australian and U.S. Opens.
Michael Chang retired from professional tennis in 2003. He won a total of 34 singles titles during his career. His last big title was in Los Angeles in 2000. He earned a lot of money from tennis, over $19 million. He was a top-ten player for six years in a row from 1992 to 1997.
Chang was part of a new group of American tennis stars, including Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, and Andre Agassi, who became very successful in the sport.
Playing for His Country
Chang was an important member of the US team that won the Davis Cup in 1990. In a key semifinal match, he came back from two sets down to win, helping the US reach the final. He also helped the US team win the World Team Cup in 1993.
He played for the US in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
Awards and Honors
Michael Chang received several awards for his tennis achievements:
- He won the ATP Newcomer of the Year award in 1988.
- He was named ATP Most Improved Player in 1989.
- In 2008, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
- In 2009, he was honored by the Los Angeles Chinese Historical Society for his role as a Taiwanese American in sports.
Tennis Gear and Sponsors
Throughout his career, Michael Chang had many sponsors. He wore Reebok clothes and shoes and used Prince rackets. He also had deals with companies like Nissin Foods (noodles), Panasonic, Longines, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Discover Card, and Tiger Balm.
Off-the-Court Life
Coaching Career
Since 2014, Michael Chang has been coaching Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori.
Business and Charity Work
Chang and his family have a business called CMCB Enterprises, which owns properties like shopping malls.
He has also done a lot of charity work. In 1994, he was the Chairman of ATP Tour Charities. He supported tennis programs for young players in Asia and was recognized as one of the "Most Caring Athletes" by USA Today Weekend in 1995. He also served as a national spokesman for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. In 2001, he was a goodwill ambassador for the 2008 Beijing Olympic bid committee.
Hobbies and Interests
Michael Chang loves fishing and often went on fishing trips while traveling for tournaments. He also enjoys keeping freshwater aquariums at home, where he breeds African cichilds.
His Book
In 2002, Chang wrote a book about his tennis career and life called Holding Serve: Persevering On and Off the Court.
Education and Faith
Chang studied at Biola University for a year and a half. He is a devout Christian and serves on Biola's Board of Trustees.
Personal Life
On October 18, 2008, Michael Chang married Amber Liu, who was also a professional tennis player. They have three children, including two daughters.
Records and Achievements
Michael Chang holds several "youngest-ever" records in tennis:
- Youngest Grand Slam champion, winning the French Open at 17 years, 3 months old (1989).
- Youngest Grand Slam finalist, playing the French Open final at 17 years, 3 months old (1989).
- Youngest male player ever to be ranked in the ATP top-5, at 17 years, 5 months old (1989).
- Youngest male player ever to be ranked in the ATP top-5 at the end of the season, at 17 years, 10 months old (1989).
- Youngest male player ever to be ranked in the ATP top-10 at the end of the season, at 17 years, 10 months old (1989).
See also
In Spanish: Michael Chang para niños
