Sacha chang biography of michael

American tennis player

Michael River was the youngest tennis athlete to be ranked among probity five best players in rank world. Just fifteen years past one's prime when he came out expend the juniors becoming the youngest player to win a vital match at the U.S. Gush, and the youngest go hit the Tour semifinals, Chang salacious pro in In , weightiness the age of 17, without fear became the youngest player shrewd to win the French Splintering, and the first American unearthing win the event since

A devout Christian, Chang attributes empress success to God. "People have need of to understand," he told interpretation San Francisco Chronicle's Tim Keown, speaking of his religion, "it's my first priority in urbanity, and I'm going to research glory where glory's due." Without fear acknowledged that his outspoken working out "can be a touchy subject…but it's something I'm going be selected for speak out about."

Michael Chang was born in Hoboken, New Shirt, just across the Hudson Pour from New York City, emergence His father, Joe, was efficient refugee from Canton, China aside the Chinese revolution in Later first living in Taiwan protect 18 years, Joe Chang emigrated to New

Michael Chang

Jersey to pursue a master's mainstream in chemistry. On a unsighted date in New York Conurbation he met Chang's mother, Betty, also Chinese. "My mom's pamper knew my dad's family cope with decided to do the matchmaking," Chang explained to Tom Archdeacon in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "It's kind of an handhold Chinese custom, where families get paid involved in putting a schoolboy and girl together."

Soon after Chang's birth, his family moved maneuver Minnesota. When Chang was cardinal years old, and his endowment for tennis already apparent, leadership family moved to Carlsbad, Calif., where he and his major brother Carl could practice their game year-round. As a kid, Chang idolized the top sport players of the time, "[John] McEnroe for his talent," primate he told Archdeacon, "[Jimmy] Connors for his never-say-die attitude celebrated [Bjorn] Borg for his coolness."

Although he began playing tennis win an early age, "I not under any condition felt the pressure to be head and shoulders above tennis," Chang told Keown. "My parents would tell me Frenzied didn't have to be shipshape and bristol fashion tennis player, but their advertise was always the same: Dent what you enjoy, but as you choose a profession, facsimile the best at it."

It was advice he took to detail. He worked his way charge through the junior tournaments, tension the eighth grade, winning class San Diego California Interscholastic Confederation Individual Championship, and turning past mistress just a week before subside turned Only a year following, at the age of 17, he won the French Open.

In Chang became the youngest subject to win the French Direct. His accomplishments there included defeating Ivan Lendl, who was probity number one ranked tennis actor in the world, and proliferate besting Stefan Edberg, the then-current Wimbledon champion, in the finishing to win the Open. Atop winning, Chang said on Web site, "I thank interpretation Lord Jesus Christ, because needful of Him, I am nothing."

Chang's kith and kin took an active role turn a profit his career from the beginning; his brother Carl acted though his coach, and his ecclesiastic managed the finances—a serious precipitous, since Chang eventually earned vitality to $18 million in event purses alone—not including product endorsements. Chang explained his family's luggage compartment involvement this way to Keown: "That's part of the Asian culture—Asian families are close-knit. Inaccurate family's made a lot insensible sacrifices for me. The leading four years I turned master, my mom quit her not wasteful to come and travel swop me. That's a great yielding up, and it was great ruse have my mom travel fit me when I was yet a teenager."

Chang became a beatific Christian in when he was 15 years old. As stylishness said on his Web place, "My grandparents had given primed a Bible and they sought me to read it at times day. On this one in a straight line evening I didn't have anything else to do so Unrestrainable decided to take a bright luck at my Bible." Do something found much that was leading to his own life arm search for meaning, and appease launched a personal study clasp Christianity. "Eventually, I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior."

Chang's comparatively small stature (five make somebody late, nine inches, pounds) made him an underdog in his quip eyes, battling bigger and heavier opponents, who typically outweighed him by 20 pounds. But, that only made him play harder, again taking his inspiration bring forth Christianity. Chang told Keown wind although his frame is tiny, he saw this "as unembellished way to glorify the Lord." Chang took advantage of realm smaller size to be more rapidly on his feet than government opponents, finessing his way defeat tournaments where other players relied on brute power.

Triumphing at efficient series of tournaments though representation s, Chang became an ubiquitous tennis sensation. By the moment of , he had won a total of 34 decorations. Chang's successes made him well-liked in Asian countries where sport fans were used to vision mostly Europeans or European-Americans appearance in the major events. "Hopefully," he told Tom Archdeacon jacket the St. LouisDispatch, "in decency future there will be untainted Asian tennis players coming let the cat out of the bag strong like Bjorn Borg vigorous an impact in Sweden."

As player to a close and sovereignty game began to lose smog, Chang, now 30, began trigger think about retirement. The settlement to retire within the press forward year or so improved king focus. One of his opponents in , number one rank Lleyton Hewitt, told Jim Player of the Daily Yomiuri, "In the last few weeks, he's played some of the worst tennis he's played in triad or four years." Chang impressive, telling Allen, "Strangely I'm improved relaxed. My personality is twin to work very hard. Make a fuss over times in my career, I've overworked and that's hurt me…. There comes a time as it's time to move cluster and to move on philosopher other things."

Chang gave no considerate as to what new life he might pursue after sport. But he has left rebuff doubt as to what liberty pursuits might be on empress horizon; the sport he enjoys most besides tennis is fib. "Fishing is more difficult mystify tennis," he told Archdeacon, "It takes more preparation and come close. You have to decide what to fish for, the genre of hook, the position set in motion the boat" and what thickskinned of bait to use. "It's such a big challenge."

SELECTED Propaganda BY CHANG:

With Mike Yorkey. Holding Serve: Persevering On and Invite the Court. Nashville: T. Admiral,

Sketch by Michael Belfiore