Michael Chang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Michael Chang

Chang in 1994
Country (sports)	United States
Residence	Orange County, California, U.S.
Born	(1972-02-22) February 22, 1972 (age 53) Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S.
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  33rd all-time leader in earnings
Int. Tennis HoF	2008 (member page)
Official website	mchang.com
Singles
Career record	662–312 (68%)
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%)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 199 (April 19, 1993)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (1990)
Coaching career
Spouse: Amber Liu Student: Kei Nishikori (2014–)

Michael Te-pei Chang (born February 22, 1972) is an American former professional tennis player and coach. He was ranked as high as world No. 2 in tennis in 1996. Chang is famous for being the youngest man ever to win a major tennis tournament called a Grand Slam. He won the 1989 French Open when he was just 17 years and 109 days old.

Throughout his career, he won 34 major singles titles. This included seven Masters titles. He also reached the finals of three other Grand Slam tournaments. Michael Chang was honored by being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2008. Since 2014, he has been coaching tennis player Kei Nishikori.

Michael Chang's Early Life

Michael Te-Pei Chang was born on February 22, 1972, in Hoboken, New Jersey. His parents, Joe and Betty Chang, had moved to the United States from Taiwan.

Michael learned to play tennis in St. Paul, Minnesota. Later, his family moved to California to give him and his older brother, Carl, more chances to play tennis. Growing up, Michael learned some Mandarin from his parents. His mother, Betty, even quit her job to travel with him to tournaments.

When he was 15, Michael was already ranked #163 in the world as an amateur. He decided to leave high school in tenth grade to focus on his professional tennis career. He earned his GED in February 1988.

Michael Chang's Tennis Career

Becoming a Young Tennis Star

Michael Chang first caught the attention of the tennis world when he was only 12 years old. He quickly became an amazing junior player, setting many "youngest-ever" records. At 12, he won his first national title, the USTA Junior Hard Court singles.

When he was 13, he won the Fiesta Bowl 16s tournament. In July 1987, at 15, Chang won another USTA Junior Hard Court singles, beating future star Pete Sampras. A month later, he won the prestigious United States Nationals U18s tournament, defeating Jim Courier in the final. This win earned him a special entry into the U.S. Open.

Michael's father, Joe, was his first coach and introduced him to tennis. Later, during his big year in 1989, he was coached by José Higueras. For most of his professional career, his older brother, Carl Chang, was his coach. Carl also played in some doubles tournaments with Michael.

Michael Chang's success helped start a new era in American tennis. Other great American players like Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, and Andre Agassi also became very successful around this time.

Turning Professional

On September 1, 1987, at just 15 years old, Chang made history. He 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 professional tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona. This made him the youngest player to reach the semifinals of a top-level pro event.

In 1988, at 16 years and seven months, he won his first major singles title in San Francisco. He beat Johan Kriek in the final. During this tournament, Chang also had a big win against Mikael Pernfors, who had been a finalist at the French Open.

Winning the 1989 French Open

Chang's most famous "youngest-ever" record came in 1989. He won the French Open when he was only 17 years and 109 days old. This made him the youngest male player ever to win a Grand Slam title. He won a thrilling five-set final against Stefan Edberg, with a score of 6–1, 3–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2. Chang was the first American man to win the French Open since 1955. He was also the first American man to win any Grand Slam since 1984.

His performance at the 1989 French Open is also remembered for an amazing fourth-round match against Ivan Lendl. Lendl was the world's No. 1 player at the time and a three-time French Open champion.

Lendl had easily beaten Chang in an earlier exhibition match. After that match, Lendl told Chang he needed to improve his serve. Chang worked hard on these weaknesses. At the 1989 French Open, Lendl won the first two sets easily. But Chang fought back and won the third set. During the fourth set, Chang suffered from severe leg cramps. Even though he won the set to tie the match, he thought about quitting. However, he felt a strong desire not to give up and decided to finish.

Chang used some unusual tactics to deal with his cramps. He hit high "moon balls" to slow down the game. He also tried to hit more winning shots to end points quickly. These tactics confused Lendl and made him lose his focus. Lendl even got upset with the umpire and the crowd. In a shocking moment, Chang used an underhand serve on a key point in the fifth set. On match point, Chang stood very close to the service line to receive Lendl's serve. This tactic worked, as Lendl made a double-fault, giving Chang the victory. The match lasted 4 hours and 37 minutes.

After this epic win, Chang went on to defeat Ronald Agénor and Andrei Chesnokov. Seven days after his match against Lendl, he beat Stefan Edberg in another five-set match to win the French Open trophy.

Chang often talked about how the Tiananmen Square Massacre affected him during his French Open victory. He said:

A lot of people forget that Tiananmen Square was going on. The crackdown that happened was on the middle Sunday at the French Open, so if I was not practicing or playing a match, I was glued to the television, watching the events unfold...I often tell people I think it was God's purpose for me to be able to win the French Open the way it was won because I was able to put a smile on Chinese people's faces around the world at a time when there wasn't much to smile about.

In August 1989, Chang became the youngest player ever to be ranked in the world's top 5.

Top Player Status

Chang played against Edberg again in the semifinals of the US Open in 1992. This time, Edberg won in five sets. This match lasted five hours and 26 minutes, making it the second-longest in US Open history.

After his 1989 French Open win, Chang reached three more Grand Slam finals:

• The 1995 French Open final, where he lost to Thomas Muster.
• The 1996 Australian Open final, where he lost to Boris Becker.
• The 1996 US Open final, where he lost to Pete Sampras.

In the 1995 French Open, he beat Michael Stich and then two-time champion Sergi Bruguera to reach the final. In both the 1996 Australian and U.S. Opens, he defeated Andre Agassi in the semifinals. If he had beaten Sampras at the 1996 U.S. Open, Chang would have become the world's No. 1 player. In the 1997 U.S. Open, he was a favorite to win, but he lost to Patrick Rafter in the semifinals.

Chang was the first player to be beaten by Roger Federer in the main part of a Grand Slam tournament, at the 2000 Australian Open. He was also the second player to be beaten by Andy Roddick in a Grand Slam, at the 2001 French Open.

Michael Chang retired from professional tennis in 2003. He won 34 top-level singles titles during his career. His last title was in Los Angeles in 2000. His highest singles ranking was world No. 2 in 1996. He was a top-ten player for six years in a row (1992–1997), a feat only matched by Pete Sampras in that decade. He is one of the few players to win ATP titles in three different decades. His three Indian Wells Masters titles were a record for 15 years.

Playing for His Country

Chang was an important part of the US team that won the Davis Cup in 1990. In the semifinals against Austria, he made an amazing comeback from two sets down to win. This helped the US reach its first Davis Cup final since 1984. Chang then won his match against Darren Cahill, as the US defeated Australia in the final. He was also on the US team that won the World Team Cup in 1993.

Chang represented the US in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he reached the second round. He chose not to play in the 1996 Summer Olympics even though it was in Atlanta and he would have been the top player. He did play in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Awards and Recognition

• Chang received the ATP Newcomer of the Year award in 1988.
• He was named ATP Most Improved Player in 1989.
• In 2008, Chang was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
• In 2009, he was honored by the Los Angeles Chinese Historical Society for his achievements in sports.

Tennis Gear and Sponsors

Michael Chang had a big endorsement deal with Reebok in 1988. He wore Reebok clothes and shoes and used Prince rackets. From 1994, he used a special Prince "Precision Michael Chang Graphite" racket that was an inch longer than standard rackets.

He also had endorsement deals with many other companies, including Nissin Foods (noodles), Panasonic, Longines, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Nuprin), Stelux watches, Discover Card, Tiger Balm, Procter & Gamble (Rejoice Shampoo), Eveready Battery Company, and Yale locks. In 1997, he signed a deal to endorse Watch Reebok sports watches.

Life Off the Court

Coaching Career

Michael Chang started coaching Kei Nishikori in 2014.

Business Ventures

Chang and his family started CMCB Enterprises, a company that owns shopping malls and other properties in several US states. They also bought and renamed real estate companies, like Dunton Commercial Real Estate Co.

Charity Work

Chang was the Chairman of ATP Tour Charities in 1994. He has supported tennis programs for young players in Asia, like his "Stars of the Future" program in Hong Kong. He was recognized as one of the "Most Caring Athletes" by USA Today Weekend in 1995. In 1997, he received an Asian-American leadership award for being a role model for young Asian-Americans. He has also worked as a spokesman for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in the US.

In 2001, Chang was a goodwill ambassador for the committee trying to bring the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to China.

Hobbies

Michael Chang loves fishing and often went on fishing trips while traveling for tournaments. At his home in Mercer Island, Washington, he has several large freshwater aquariums where he breeds African cichlids and other fish.

His Book

In 2002, Chang wrote a book about his life and tennis career called Holding Serve: Persevering On and Off the Court.

Education and Faith

Chang studied in a master's program at Biola University in La Mirada, California. He also serves on Biola's Board of Trustees. He is a very devout Christian.

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.

Major Tournament Finals

Grand Slam Finals

Michael Chang reached four Grand Slam singles finals, winning one:

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Winner	1989	French Open	Clay	Stefan Edberg	6–1, 3–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2
Runner-up	1995	French Open	Clay	Thomas Muster	5–7, 2–6, 4–6
Runner-up	1996	Australian Open	Hard	Boris Becker	2–6, 4–6, 6–2, 2–6
Runner-up	1996	US Open	Hard	Pete Sampras	1–6, 4–6, 6–7(3–7)

Year-End Championship Finals

He reached one year-end championship final:

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1995	Frankfurt	Carpet (i)	Boris Becker	6–7(3–7), 0–6, 6–7(5–7)

Grand Slam Cup Finals

He reached two Grand Slam Cup finals:

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1991	Grand Slam Cup, Munich	Carpet (i)	David Wheaton	5–7, 2–6, 4–6
Runner-up	1992	Grand Slam Cup, Munich	Carpet (i)	Michael Stich	2–6, 3–6, 2–6

Masters Series Finals

He reached nine Masters Series finals, winning seven:

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Winner	1990	Canada (Toronto)	Hard	Jay Berger	4–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–2)
Winner	1992	Indian Wells	Hard	Andrei Chesnokov	6–3, 6–4, 7–5
Winner	1992	Miami	Hard	Alberto Mancini	7–5, 7–5
Winner	1993	Cincinnati	Hard	Stefan Edberg	7–5, 0–6, 6–4
Winner	1994	Cincinnati	Hard	Stefan Edberg	6–2, 7–5
Runner-up	1995	Cincinnati	Hard	Andre Agassi	5–7, 2–6
Winner	1996	Indian Wells	Hard	Paul Haarhuis	7–5, 6–1, 6–1
Runner-up	1996	Cincinnati	Hard	Andre Agassi	6–7(4–7), 4–6
Winner	1997	Indian Wells	Hard	Bohdan Ulihrach	4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–3

Records and Achievements

• Youngest Grand Slam champion: Won the French Open at 17 years, 3 months old (1989).
• Youngest Grand Slam finalist: Played in the French Open final at 17 years, 3 months old (1989).
• Youngest male player ever to be ranked in the ATP top-5: Achieved this at 17 years, 5 months old (1989).
• Youngest male player ever to finish the season ranked in the ATP top-5: At 17 years, 10 months old (1989).
• Youngest male player ever to finish the season ranked in the ATP top-10: At 17 years, 10 months old (1989).

See also

In Spanish: Michael Chang para niños