This weekend, retired Chinese-American tennis player Michael Chang was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. He is best known for being the youngest person to ever win a Gland Slam (French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open, Australian Open) a Grand Slam title (the French Open) at age 17, defeating the top ranked players Ivan Lendl and Stefan Edberg along the way, most notably with his underhanded serve against Lendl.
I remember Michael Chang winning the 1989 French Open because he was the first Asian American that I had even heard of playing professional tennis, let alone any Asian American professional athlete, adding to the fact that he was the same age as me AND the French Open final occurring during the same time as the June 4th, 1989 Tianammen Square crackdown. I don’t follow tennis all that closely and it is too bad that Chang’s star shined its brightest when he was the French Open, but he’s certainly accomplished a lot in his career, more so than I will probably ever:
“In a career spanning 16 years, Chang reached a career high world ranking of No. 2 and was ranked in the World Top 10 for seven years. He captured 34 singles titles while also reaching 24 tournament finals. He was a finalist at the 1996 Australian Open and a semifinalist in 1995 and 1997; in addition to his Roland Garros win in 1989, he also reached the French final in 1995 and the quarterfinals in 1990-91; his best result at Wimbledon was the quarterfinal in 1994; and at the US Open, he reached the final in 1996, the semifinals in 1992 and 1997, and the quarterfinals in 1993 and 1995. He served the United States in Davis Cup competition (1989-90, 1996-97), winning the Cup in 1990, and posting an overall 8-4 singles record. Known for his quick footwork, tireless two-handed backhand and abundant energy, Chang was a determined, unwavering and courageous competitor.”
I remember Chang dedicating his French Open win to those who lost their lives at Tiananmen Square. It was as if Chang was destined to win to help bring attention to the world, from an ethnic Chinese, from a global sporting platform, the Tiananmen Square massacre. Chang currently coaches helps oversee his Chang Family Foundation. Let’s hope there are a lot more Michael Chang’s out there in the pipeline – I would personally love to see more Asian American athletes (beyond your stereotypical female Asian American figure skating Olympians).
