Michael Chang
Encyclopedia
Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam
singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17.
Known for his on-court speed and fighting spirit, Chang is considered by many observers to have been one of the best tennis counterpunchers of all time. He also introduced the jumping two-handed backhand. He remained in the top 10 of the ATP
world rankings for several years in the 1990s, peaking at world no. 2.
Chang was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
in 2008.
when he defeated Paul McNamee
in four sets in the first round. A month later he reached the semifinals at Scottsdale, Arizona
to become the youngest player to reach the semifinal stage of a top-level professional tournament. He won his first top-level singles title in 1988 at San Francisco, aged 16 years and 7 months.
Chang's most significant youngest-ever record came in 1989 when he won the French Open
at the age of , to become the youngest male player ever to win a Grand Slam title. He defeated Stefan Edberg
in a five-set final, 6–1, 3–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2. His victory is equally remembered for an epic five-set encounter with Ivan Lendl
in the fourth round (see below). Chang became the first American man to win the French Open since 1955. And in August 1989, Chang became the youngest player to be ranked in the world's top 5. (Chang's success marked the start of an era in which a new generation of American players—which also included Pete Sampras
, Jim Courier
, and Andre Agassi
—would come to dominate the game.)
Chang met Edberg in the semifinals of the US Open in 1992, this time Edberg winning in a five-set encounter, 6–7, 7–5, 7–6, 5–7, 6–4. The 5-hour, 26-minute match was the longest in US Open history. Chang reached three further Grand Slam finals after his 1989 French Open triumph, losing the 1995 French Open final to Thomas Muster
, the 1996 Australian Open final to Boris Becker
, and the 1996 US Open final to Pete Sampras. In the 1995 French Open, he defeated Michael Stich
and then two-time defending champion Sergi Bruguera
in the semifinals in straight sets, eventually losing to Muster. In both the 1996 Australian and U.S. Opens, he defeated Andre Agassi
in the semifinals in straight sets; a win over Sampras at the U.S. Open would have made Chang the no. 1 player in the world. In the 1997 U.S. Open, he was the odds-on favorite to win after Sampras was upset by Petr Korda
; however, Chang lost to eventual champion Patrick Rafter
in the semifinals in straight sets.
Chang was a key member of the US team which won the Davis Cup
in 1990. In the semifinals at Austria, his dramatic comeback from two-sets down against Horst Skoff
, 3–6, 6–7, 6–4, 6–4, 6–3, led the US into its first Davis Cup final since 1984. Chang went on to defeat Darren Cahill
in straight sets, as the US defeated Australia in the final. He was also on the US team which won the World Team Cup
in 1993. His best performance in the year-end singles championship came in 1995, when he defeated Muster, Jim Courier
, and then shockingly dominated Pete Sampras
in the semifinals, before losing in the final to Boris Becker
.
Chang was introduced to tennis by his father Joe, who was his first coach. During his rise in 1989 (including his French Open title), he was coached by José Higueras
. For much of his professional career, he was coached by his older brother Carl Chang
, who also played in several doubles tournaments with him in the early-1990s. Chang retired from the professional tour in 2003. During his career, he won a total of 34 top-level professional singles titles. His final top-level title was won in 2000 at Los Angeles. His total career prize-money earnings was US$19,145,632. His career-high singles ranking was world no. 2 in 1996, following his US Open finals performance. He was a year-end top-ten player for six consecutive years in the 1990s (1992–1997), a feat matched in the decade only by Pete Sampras
. He is one of a few players to win ATP titles in three different decades, and his three Indian Wells Masters
championships (1992, 1996, 1997) are an ATP record, equaled only by Roger Federer
.
Since retiring from the top-level game, Chang has joined Jim Courier
's senior tour, which began on March 10, 2006 in Naples, Florida
.
(on the way to winning his only Grand Slam
singles title). In the fourth round, he faced world no. 1, reigning Australian Open champion, and three-time former French Open champion Ivan Lendl
. Conventional wisdom made Lendl the heavy favorite to win the match against the 15th-seeded 17-year-old Chang.
Lendl appeared to be on the way to victory after taking the first two sets 6–4, 6–4n and then breaking Chang's serve in the opening game of the third set. However, Chang broke back immediately and went on to claim the third set, 6–3. During the fourth set, Chang experienced a severe attack of leg cramp
s, and though he won the set to level the match, he considered retiring from the match while up 2–1 in the fifth set. He later said that he felt "an unbelievable conviction in my heart" not to give up, and decided to finish the match.
Chang adopted some unusual tactics in an attempt to overcome his cramps. He hit the ball high into the air on many points to slow the game down (known as "moon balls"), and also began to go for more winners in order to shorten the points. Chang also ate bananas and drank water at every opportunity. The success of these tactics caused Lendl, known to be one of the least easily fazed players, to lose his rhythm and caused him to swear at the umpire and the crowd, especially after losing a key point in the fifth set when Chang shocked him by delivering an under-arm serve. Chang later explained, "I was trying to break his concentration
. I would do anything to stay out there."
Chang continued to suffer from cramps, but managed to take a 5–3 lead in the fifth set with two match points on Lendl's serve. Aiming to break Lendl's concentration one more time, Chang stood well inside the baseline, almost at the T-line in the centre of the court while waiting to receive Lendl's serve. The crowd started laughing at the bizarre situation, and Lendl seemed to think everyone was mocking him. The tactic worked, as Lendl produced a double-fault to give Chang the victory, 4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–3, in 4 hours and 37 minutes. Chang sank to his knees and broke down in tears at the conclusion of the match. Seven days later, he went on to take the title, becoming the youngest male champion in Grand Slam history.
The match was played on June 5, 1989, just one day after the height of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Chang has frequently noted the impact of the massacre when recalling his French Open victory:
(Note: Chang and Lendl played a similar match in a semifinal of the 1991 Grand Slam Cup
, where Chang again came back from two sets down and won 2–6, 4–6, 6–4, 7–6, 9–7.)
in 1972 to Joe (張洪笙) and Betty (董良因, née Tung). His parents both grew up in Taiwan
(though were born elsewhere) and were educated in the United States, where they met; Betty moved to the US in 1959 and Joe in 1966. They were introduced by a mutual friend. Betty was born in Delhi
, India as the daughter of Michael Tung (董宗山), then serving as the Chinese Ambassador to India. Joe was born in Chaozhou
, Guangdong, and moved to Taiwan at age seven. Michael's Chinese name was chosen by Joe, and his English name by Betty (who named him after her father).
After moving from Hoboken, New Jersey to Placentia, California
, the Changs moved to Encinitas, California
. Chang dropped out of Grade 10 at San Dieguito High School
in Encinitas, California, after passing his GED
in February 1988 in order to pursue a professional tennis career.
A devout Christian, Chang's faith was first brought to the spotlight after his 1989 French Open championship, when upon winning, declared "I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, because without Him, I am nothing." Chang and his family established the Chang Family Foundation in 1999, dedicated to integrating tennis, family, and Christian faith. The Foundation is now based in Rancho Santa Margarita, California
.
Chang served as Chairman of ATP Tour Charities in 1994. He has supported grassroots tennis development in Asia through his Stars of the Future program in Hong Kong and the Reebok Challenge across Asia. He was one of five athletes named in the second annual "Most Caring Athlete" list by USA Today
Weekend in 1995. In 1997, he was given one of seven Asian-American leadership awards by A Magazine
for his status as a role model for Asian-American youth. He has also served as a national spokesman for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
in the US.
In 2001, Chang served as a goodwill ambassador for the 2008 Beijing Olympic
bid committee. In 2002, Chang published a book about his career, Holding Serve: Persevering On and Off the Court.
He attended Biola University
in La Mirada, California
for 1.5 years for a Masters in Ministry to increase his personal Bible knowledge. He serves on the Biola University Board of Trustees.
Chang currently lives in Orange County, California
. He is an avid fisherman, who often takes fishing trips while traveling. He also has a passion for breeding African cichlid
s in several large freshwater aquariums at his home. On October 18, 2008, Chang married Amber Liu
, another professional tennis player who is 12 years younger than Chang. They have one daughter, Lani, born December 9, 2010.
On May 3, 2009, Chang was honored by the Los Angeles Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
in "Celebrating Chinese Americans in Sports".
Runner-ups (24)
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17.
Known for his on-court speed and fighting spirit, Chang is considered by many observers to have been one of the best tennis counterpunchers of all time. He also introduced the jumping two-handed backhand. He remained in the top 10 of the ATP
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
world rankings for several years in the 1990s, peaking at world no. 2.
Chang was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
International Tennis Hall of Fame
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. The hall of fame and honors players and contributors to the sport of tennis and includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indoor tennis facility, and a court tennis facility.-History:The hall of fame and...
in 2008.
Tennis career
Chang first came to the tennis world's attention as an outstanding junior player who set numerous "youngest-ever" records. He won his first national title, the USTA Junior Hard Court singles, at the age of 12. Aged 13, he won the Fiesta Bowl 16s. Two years later, aged 15, Chang won the USTA Boys 18s Hardcourts and the Boys 18s Nationals, and became the youngest player to win a main draw match at the US OpenU.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
when he defeated Paul McNamee
Paul McNamee
Paul McNamee is a retired Australian tennis player and prominent sports administrator.-Tennis career:...
in four sets in the first round. A month later he reached the semifinals at Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
to become the youngest player to reach the semifinal stage of a top-level professional tournament. He won his first top-level singles title in 1988 at San Francisco, aged 16 years and 7 months.
Chang's most significant youngest-ever record came in 1989 when he won the French Open
French Open (tennis)
The French Open |Roland Garros]]) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the other three are...
at the age of , to become the youngest male player ever to win a Grand Slam title. He defeated Stefan Edberg
Stefan Edberg
Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix...
in a five-set final, 6–1, 3–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2. His victory is equally remembered for an epic five-set encounter with Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
in the fourth round (see below). Chang became the first American man to win the French Open since 1955. And in August 1989, Chang became the youngest player to be ranked in the world's top 5. (Chang's success marked the start of an era in which a new generation of American players—which also included Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
, Jim Courier
Jim Courier
James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open...
, and Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
—would come to dominate the game.)
Chang met Edberg in the semifinals of the US Open in 1992, this time Edberg winning in a five-set encounter, 6–7, 7–5, 7–6, 5–7, 6–4. The 5-hour, 26-minute match was the longest in US Open history. Chang reached three further Grand Slam finals after his 1989 French Open triumph, losing the 1995 French Open final to Thomas Muster
Thomas Muster
Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list...
, the 1996 Australian Open final to Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
, and the 1996 US Open final to Pete Sampras. In the 1995 French Open, he defeated Michael Stich
Michael Stich
Michael Detlef Stich is a former professional tennis player from Germany. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1991...
and then two-time defending champion Sergi Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:...
in the semifinals in straight sets, eventually losing to Muster. In both the 1996 Australian and U.S. Opens, he defeated Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
in the semifinals in straight sets; a win over Sampras at the U.S. Open would have made Chang the no. 1 player in the world. In the 1997 U.S. Open, he was the odds-on favorite to win after Sampras was upset by Petr Korda
Petr Korda
Petr Korda is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. He is best known for winning the Australian Open in 1998 and for testing positive for the banned substance, nandrolone, following a match at Wimbledon that same year.-Career:Korda was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia.He first...
; however, Chang lost to eventual champion Patrick Rafter
Patrick Rafter
Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of...
in the semifinals in straight sets.
Chang was a key member of the US team which won the Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
in 1990. In the semifinals at Austria, his dramatic comeback from two-sets down against Horst Skoff
Horst Skoff
Horst Skoff was a professional tennis player from Austria.Skoff was born in Klagenfurt, Austria, and turned professional in 1985. He won his first top-level singles title in 1988 at Athens. Over the course of his career he won four top-level singles titles and two tour doubles titles...
, 3–6, 6–7, 6–4, 6–4, 6–3, led the US into its first Davis Cup final since 1984. Chang went on to defeat Darren Cahill
Darren Cahill
Darren Cahill is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from Australia.Nicknamed "Killer", Cahill turned professional in 1984...
in straight sets, as the US defeated Australia in the final. He was also on the US team which won the World Team Cup
World Team Cup
The World Team Cup is the international team championship of the Association of Tennis Professionals . The tournament has been contested annually since 1978 and is generally considered to be second most prestigious men's team competition in tennis after the Davis Cup.Every year, the eight nations...
in 1993. His best performance in the year-end singles championship came in 1995, when he defeated Muster, Jim Courier
Jim Courier
James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open...
, and then shockingly dominated Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
in the semifinals, before losing in the final to Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
.
Chang was introduced to tennis by his father Joe, who was his first coach. During his rise in 1989 (including his French Open title), he was coached by José Higueras
José Higueras
José Higueras is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from Spain.Between 1976 and 1984, Higueras won 16 top-level singles titles. A semi-finalist at the French Open in 1982 and 1983, he reached the World No. 6 singles ranking in 1983...
. For much of his professional career, he was coached by his older brother Carl Chang
Carl Chang (tennis player)
Carl Chang is the older brother and former coach of tennis star Michael Chang.Chang was a talented junior tennis player who beat a number of future professionals, including Pete Sampras, at junior events. Carl graduated from San Dieguito High School in Encinitas, California, in 1987...
, who also played in several doubles tournaments with him in the early-1990s. Chang retired from the professional tour in 2003. During his career, he won a total of 34 top-level professional singles titles. His final top-level title was won in 2000 at Los Angeles. His total career prize-money earnings was US$19,145,632. His career-high singles ranking was world no. 2 in 1996, following his US Open finals performance. He was a year-end top-ten player for six consecutive years in the 1990s (1992–1997), a feat matched in the decade only by Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
. He is one of a few players to win ATP titles in three different decades, and his three Indian Wells Masters
Indian Wells Masters
The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California....
championships (1992, 1996, 1997) are an ATP record, equaled only by Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
.
Since retiring from the top-level game, Chang has joined Jim Courier
Jim Courier
James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open...
's senior tour, which began on March 10, 2006 in Naples, Florida
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
.
1989 French Open match vs Ivan Lendl
Chang's most famous match took place at the 1989 French Open1989 French Open
List of the 1989 French Open Champions. For the first time in French Open history the Singles championships were won by two teenagers – Michael Chang and Arantxa Sánchez . Chang still holds the record for youngest ever male Grand Slam singles title winner. He gained many admirers for his audacious...
(on the way to winning his only Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
singles title). In the fourth round, he faced world no. 1, reigning Australian Open champion, and three-time former French Open champion Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
. Conventional wisdom made Lendl the heavy favorite to win the match against the 15th-seeded 17-year-old Chang.
Lendl appeared to be on the way to victory after taking the first two sets 6–4, 6–4n and then breaking Chang's serve in the opening game of the third set. However, Chang broke back immediately and went on to claim the third set, 6–3. During the fourth set, Chang experienced a severe attack of leg cramp
Cramp
Cramps are unpleasant, often painful sensations caused by muscle contraction or over shortening. Common causes of skeletal muscle cramps include muscle fatigue, low sodium, and low potassium...
s, and though he won the set to level the match, he considered retiring from the match while up 2–1 in the fifth set. He later said that he felt "an unbelievable conviction in my heart" not to give up, and decided to finish the match.
Chang adopted some unusual tactics in an attempt to overcome his cramps. He hit the ball high into the air on many points to slow the game down (known as "moon balls"), and also began to go for more winners in order to shorten the points. Chang also ate bananas and drank water at every opportunity. The success of these tactics caused Lendl, known to be one of the least easily fazed players, to lose his rhythm and caused him to swear at the umpire and the crowd, especially after losing a key point in the fifth set when Chang shocked him by delivering an under-arm serve. Chang later explained, "I was trying to break his concentration
Gamesmanship
Gamesmanship is the use of dubious methods to win a game. It has been described as "Pushing the rules to the limit without getting caught, using whatever dubious methods possible to achieve the desired end"...
. I would do anything to stay out there."
Chang continued to suffer from cramps, but managed to take a 5–3 lead in the fifth set with two match points on Lendl's serve. Aiming to break Lendl's concentration one more time, Chang stood well inside the baseline, almost at the T-line in the centre of the court while waiting to receive Lendl's serve. The crowd started laughing at the bizarre situation, and Lendl seemed to think everyone was mocking him. The tactic worked, as Lendl produced a double-fault to give Chang the victory, 4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–3, in 4 hours and 37 minutes. Chang sank to his knees and broke down in tears at the conclusion of the match. Seven days later, he went on to take the title, becoming the youngest male champion in Grand Slam history.
The match was played on June 5, 1989, just one day after the height of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Chang has frequently noted the impact of the massacre when recalling his French Open victory:
"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."
(Note: Chang and Lendl played a similar match in a semifinal of the 1991 Grand Slam Cup
Grand Slam Cup
The Grand Slam Cup was a tennis tournament held annually at the Olympiahalle in Munich in Germany from 1990 through 1999. The event was organized by the International Tennis Federation , which invited the best-performing players in the year's Grand Slam events to compete in the Grand Slam Cup.The...
, where Chang again came back from two sets down and won 2–6, 4–6, 6–4, 7–6, 9–7.)
Personal and family life
Chang was born in Hoboken, New JerseyHoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
in 1972 to Joe (張洪笙) and Betty (董良因, née Tung). His parents both grew up in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
(though were born elsewhere) and were educated in the United States, where they met; Betty moved to the US in 1959 and Joe in 1966. They were introduced by a mutual friend. Betty was born in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, India as the daughter of Michael Tung (董宗山), then serving as the Chinese Ambassador to India. Joe was born in Chaozhou
Chaozhou
Chaozhou is a city in eastern Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China. It borders Shantou to the south, Jieyang to the southwest, Meizhou to the northwest, the province of Fujian to the east, and the South China Sea to the southeast...
, Guangdong, and moved to Taiwan at age seven. Michael's Chinese name was chosen by Joe, and his English name by Betty (who named him after her father).
After moving from Hoboken, New Jersey to Placentia, California
Placentia, California
-Local: Placentia is a Charter city with an elected city council and professional city manager. Placentia City Council*Mayor- Scott W. Nelson*Mayor Pro Tem- Jeremy Yamaguchi*Council Member- Joe Aquirre*Council Member- Constance Underhill...
, the Changs moved to Encinitas, California
Encinitas, California
Encinitas is a coastal beach city in San Diego County, California. Located within Southern California, it is approximately north of San Diego in North County and about south of Los Angeles. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 59,518, up from 58,014 at the 2000 census. Encinitas is...
. Chang dropped out of Grade 10 at San Dieguito High School
San Dieguito Academy
San Dieguito AcademyPrincipalTim HornigSchool typePublicFounded1936LocationEncinitas, California, United StatesEnrollment1,528Faculty115Campus surroundingsSuburbanMascotMustangNewspaperThe MustangYearbook...
in Encinitas, California, after passing his GED
GED
General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...
in February 1988 in order to pursue a professional tennis career.
A devout Christian, Chang's faith was first brought to the spotlight after his 1989 French Open championship, when upon winning, declared "I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, because without Him, I am nothing." Chang and his family established the Chang Family Foundation in 1999, dedicated to integrating tennis, family, and Christian faith. The Foundation is now based in Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Rancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California. One of Orange County's youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master planned community set upon rolling hills. Most neighborhoods in Rancho Santa Margarita are within various homeowners associations...
.
Chang served as Chairman of ATP Tour Charities in 1994. He has supported grassroots tennis development in Asia through his Stars of the Future program in Hong Kong and the Reebok Challenge across Asia. He was one of five athletes named in the second annual "Most Caring Athlete" list by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
Weekend in 1995. In 1997, he was given one of seven Asian-American leadership awards by A Magazine
A Magazine
A Magazine was founded in 1989 by Jeff Yang, Amy Chu, Sandi Kim and Bill Yao to cover Asian American issues and culture, and grew out of a campus magazine Yang edited while an undergraduate at Harvard University....
for his status as a role model for Asian-American youth. He has also served as a national spokesman for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation protects, sustains and restores the wildlife, plants and habitats of the United States. Established by Congress in 1984, the Foundation directs public conservation dollars to critical environmental needs and matches those investments with private...
in the US.
In 2001, Chang served as a goodwill ambassador for the 2008 Beijing Olympic
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
bid committee. In 2002, Chang published a book about his career, Holding Serve: Persevering On and Off the Court.
He attended Biola University
Talbot School of Theology
Talbot School of Theology is a non-denominational, conservative evangelical Christian theological seminary located near Los Angeles. Talbot is one of the seven schools that comprise Biola University, located in La Mirada, California.-History:...
in La Mirada, California
La Mirada, California
La Mirada is a city in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of the Gateway Cities. The population was 48,527 at the 2010 census, up from 46,783 at the 2000 census....
for 1.5 years for a Masters in Ministry to increase his personal Bible knowledge. He serves on the Biola University Board of Trustees.
Chang currently lives in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. He is an avid fisherman, who often takes fishing trips while traveling. He also has a passion for breeding African cichlid
Cichlid
Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...
s in several large freshwater aquariums at his home. On October 18, 2008, Chang married Amber Liu
Amber Liu
Amber Christine Liu Chang is a former American professional tennis player and the wife of fellow tennis pro Michael Chang. At Stanford University, she was a two-time NCAA singles champion in 2003 and 2004. Her highest ranking was No. 241 in singles and No...
, another professional tennis player who is 12 years younger than Chang. They have one daughter, Lani, born December 9, 2010.
On May 3, 2009, Chang was honored by the Los Angeles Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California is located in Los Angeles Chinatown, at 415 Bernard Street. Its Chinatown Heritage & Visitors Center is open to the public...
in "Celebrating Chinese Americans in Sports".
Records
- These records were attained in the Open EraOpen eraOpen era or Open Era may refer to:* Open Era , the period since 1968 where professionals can compete in Grand Slams* Glasnost era, the increased openness in the Soviet Union from the mid-1980s...
of tennis.Tournament Years Record accomplished Player tied French Open 1989 Youngest Grand Slam men's singles champion Stands alone Indian Wells Masters Indian Wells MastersThe Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California....
1992–1997 Most titles (3) Roger Federer Roger FedererRoger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
, Jimmy ConnorsJimmy ConnorsJames Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
Singles: 4 (1–3)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Winner | 1989 | French Open | Clay |  Stefan EdbergStefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... |
6–1, 3–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 1995 | French Open | Clay |  Thomas MusterThomas Muster Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list... |
7–5, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 1996 | Australian Open | Hard |  Boris BeckerBoris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... |
6–2, 6–4, 2–6, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 1996 | US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... |
Hard |  Pete SamprasPete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... |
6–1, 6–4, 7–6(3) |
Singles: 1 (0–1)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Runner-up | 1995 | Frankfurt Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... |
Carpet | Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... |
7–6(3), 6–0, 7–6(5) |
Singles: 9 (7–2)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Winner | 1990 | Canada (Toronto) Canada Masters The Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour... |
Hard | Jay Berger Jay Berger Jay Berger is a former professional tennis player from the United States. He won three singles and one doubles title on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of world # 7 in April 1990.... |
4–6, 6–3, 7–6(2) |
| Winner | 1992 | Indian Wells Indian Wells Masters The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California.... |
Hard |  Andrei ChesnokovAndrei Chesnokov Andrei Eduardovich Chesnokov is a former professional tennis player from Russia.Chesnokov's highest singles ranking was World No. 9 in 1991. The biggest tournament victories of his career came at the Monte Carlo Open in 1990, and at the Canadian Open in 1991 .Chesnokov's best performance at a... |
6–3, 6–4, 7–5 |
| Winner | 1992 | Key Biscayne Miami Masters The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park... |
Hard |  Alberto ManciniAlberto Mancini Alberto César Mancini is a former professional tennis player from Argentina. He turned professional in 1987. In 1988, he won his first top-level singles title at Bologna, and his first tour doubles title at St. Vincent.... |
7–5, 7–5 |
| Winner | 1993 | Cincinnati Cincinnati Masters The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between... |
Hard | Stefan Edberg Stefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... |
7–5, 0–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 1994 | Cincinnati | Hard | Stefan Edberg |
6–2, 7–5 |
| Runner-up | 1995 | Cincinnati | Hard | Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... |
7–5, 6–2 |
| Winner | 1996 | Indian Wells | Hard |  Paul HaarhuisPaul Haarhuis Paul Vincent Nicholas Haarhuis is a Dutch former professional tennis player. He is a former World No. 1 doubles player. He won six Grand Slam men's doubles titles, five with Jacco Eltingh and one with Yevgeny Kafelnikov.-Personal life:... |
7–5, 6–1, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 1996 | Cincinnati | Hard | Andre Agassi |
7–6(4), 6–4 |
| Winner | 1997 | Indian Wells | Hard |  Bohdan UlihrachBohdan Ulihrach Bohdan Ulihrach is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.-Career:Ulihrach turned professional in 1993. He won his first top-level singles title in July 1995 at Prague, where he defeated Javier Sánchez in the final... |
4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–3 |
Singles: 58 (34–24)
Wins (34)EWLINE
|
EWLINE
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| 1. | September 26, 1988 | San Francisco SAP Open The SAP Open is a men's tennis tournament held annually in San Jose, California. It is the second-oldest tennis tournament in the United States, which is still played. It is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour... , USA |
Carpet | Johan Kriek Johan Kriek Johan Kriek is a South African American professional male tennis player and founder of the Global Water Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to delivering clean water to the world's neediest communities. Kriek has won two Australian Opens and has reached the semi-finals at the French... |
6–2, 6–3 |
| 2. | May 29, 1989 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | Stefan Edberg Stefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... |
6–1, 3–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 3. | November 7, 1989 | Wembley Wembley Championship The Wembley Championship was a tennis event held from 1934–1990 with some periods of inactivity in between and is considered as a part of the professional grand slam from 1927 - 1967 until the advent of the open era... , UK |
Carpet |  Guy ForgetGuy Forget Guy Forget is a former French professional tennis player. During his career, he helped France win the Davis Cup in both 1991 and 1996. Since retiring as a player, he has served as France's Davis Cup team captain.-Career:... |
6–2, 6–1, 6–1 |
| 4. | July 23, 1990 | Toronto Canada Masters The Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour... , Canada |
Hard | Jay Berger Jay Berger Jay Berger is a former professional tennis player from the United States. He won three singles and one doubles title on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of world # 7 in April 1990.... |
4–6, 6–3, 7–6(2) |
| 5. | November 4, 1991 | Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , UK |
Carpet | Guillaume Raoux Guillaume Raoux Guillaume Raoux is a retired tennis player from France.-Career:Raoux turned professional in 1989. He represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, where he was defeated in the first round by Zimbabwe's Byron Black... |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 6. | February 3, 1992 | San Francisco, USA | Hard | Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... |
6–3, 6–3 |
| 7. | March 2, 1992 | Indian Wells Indian Wells Masters The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California.... , USA |
Hard | Andrei Chesnokov Andrei Chesnokov Andrei Eduardovich Chesnokov is a former professional tennis player from Russia.Chesnokov's highest singles ranking was World No. 9 in 1991. The biggest tournament victories of his career came at the Monte Carlo Open in 1990, and at the Canadian Open in 1991 .Chesnokov's best performance at a... |
6–3, 6–4, 7–5 |
| 8. | March 13, 1992 | Key Biscayne Miami Masters The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park... , USA |
Hard | Alberto Mancini Alberto Mancini Alberto César Mancini is a former professional tennis player from Argentina. He turned professional in 1987. In 1988, he won his first top-level singles title at Bologna, and his first tour doubles title at St. Vincent.... |
7–5, 7–5 |
| 9. | January 11, 1993 | Jakarta ATP Jakarta The Jakarta Open was a men's tennis tournament played in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event was held from 1993–1996 and was played on outdoor hard courts.-Singles:-Doubles:-References:*... , Indonesia |
Hard | Carl-Uwe Steeb Carl-Uwe Steeb Carl-Uwe Steeb is a former professional tennis player from Germany.Steeb turned professional in 1986. He won his first top-level singles title in 1989 in Gstaad... |
2–6, 6–2, 6–1 |
| 10. | March 29, 1993 | Osaka ATP Osaka The ATP Osaka was a men's tennis tournament played in Osaka, Japan. The event was played as part of the ATP Tour in 1993 and 1994. It was played on outdoor hard courts.-Singles:-Doubles:-References:... , Japan |
Hard |  Amos MansdorfAmos Mansdorf Amos Mansdorf is a former professional tennis player.His best singles world ranking of 18 was the highest ever for any male, Israeli tennis player, reached in November 1987. His best doubles world ranking was 67, reached in May 1986.-Early life:... |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 11. | August 9, 1993 | Cincinnati Cincinnati Masters The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between... , USA |
Hard | Stefan Edberg |
7–5, 0–6, 6–4 |
| 12. | September 27, 1993 | Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... , Malaysia |
Hard | Jonas Svensson Jonas Svensson Jonas Svensson is a former professional tennis player from Sweden.During his career, Svensson was a French Open semi-finalist twice both times as unseeded player.... |
6–0, 6–4 |
| 13. | October 18, 1993 | Beijing China Open (tennis) The China Open is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The men's singles and doubles events were first held in 1993, the year in which the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships were also introduced to the men's tour, as the ATP opened a series of new tournaments in... , China |
Carpet |  Greg RusedskiGreg Rusedski Gregory "Greg" Rusedski is a British Canadian former tennis player who turned professional in 1991 and played until his retirement on 7 April 2007, at the age of 33... |
7–6(5), 6–7(6), 6–4 |
| 14. | January 10, 1994 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Hard | David Rikl David Rikl David Rikl is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. The left-handed Rikl turned professional in 1989. The Czech's success came mostly in doubles, having been a runner-up at the 2004 US Open and 2001 Wimbledon Championships. However, Rikl did achieve a top-100 singles... |
6–3, 6–3 |
| 15. | February 14, 1994 | Philadelphia U.S. Pro Indoor The U.S. Pro Indoor is a defunct professional tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts, and indoor hard courts... , USA |
Carpet | Paul Haarhuis Paul Haarhuis Paul Vincent Nicholas Haarhuis is a Dutch former professional tennis player. He is a former World No. 1 doubles player. He won six Grand Slam men's doubles titles, five with Jacco Eltingh and one with Yevgeny Kafelnikov.-Personal life:... |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 16. | April 11, 1994 | Hong Kong Hong Kong Open (tennis) The Hong Kong Open is a defunct tennis tournament that was held in Hong Kong on the Grand Prix tour from and the ATP Tour from... , UK |
Hard |  Patrick RafterPatrick Rafter Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of... |
6–1, 6–3 |
| 17. | April 25, 1994 | Atlanta Verizon Tennis Challenge The Verizon Tennis Challenge is a defunct Grand Prix circuit and ATP Tour affiliated tennis tournament played from 1987 to 2001. It was held in Orlando, Florida in the United States from 1987 to 1991 and at the Atlanta Athletic Club in what is now Johns Creek, Georgia in the United States from 1992... , USA |
Clay | Todd Martin Todd Martin ----Todd Christopher Martin is a former professional tennis player from the United States.-Playing career:... |
6–7(4), 7–6(4), 6–0 |
| 18. | August 8, 1994 | Cincinnati, USA | Hard | Stefan Edberg |
6–2, 7–5 |
| 19. | October 17, 1994 | Beijing, China | Carpet | Anders Järryd Anders Järryd Anders Per Järryd is a former professional tennis player from Sweden. During his career he won eight Grand Slam doubles titles , reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking, and achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 5.Järryd was born in Lidköping, Västra Götaland... |
7–5, 7–5 |
| 20. | April 17, 1995 | Hong Kong, UK | Hard | Jonas Björkman Jonas Björkman Jonas Lars Björkman is a former World Number 4 Swedish professional tennis player. He is also a former World No. 1 in doubles. Björkman retired from professional tennis after competing at the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup Doubles championships.... |
6–3, 6–1 |
| 21. | May 1, 1995 | Atlanta, USA | Clay | Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... |
6–2, 6–7(6), 6–4 |
| 22. | October 9, 1995 | Tokyo ATP Tokyo Indoor The Tokyo Indoor was a men's tennis tournament played in Tokyo, Japan. It was one of the most prestigious in terms of prize money available. The event was played as part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour from 1978 to 1989 and part of the Grand Prix Championship Series, the precursors to the Masters... , Japan |
Carpet | Mark Philippoussis Mark Philippoussis Mark Anthony Philippoussis is an Australian tennis player. He turned professional in 1994. His father is Greek, while his mother is of Italian ancestry.... |
6–3, 6–4 |
| 23. | October 16, 1995 | Beijing, China | Carpet |  Renzo FurlanRenzo Furlan Renzo Furlan is a former tennis player from Italy.Having turned professional in 1988, Furlan represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was defeated in the quarter finals by India's Leander Paes... |
7–5, 6–3 |
| 24. | March 11, 1996 | Indian Wells, USA | Hard | Paul Haarhuis |
7–5, 6–1, 6–1 |
| 25. | July 15, 1996 | Washington, D.C. Legg Mason Tennis Classic The Legg Mason Tennis Classic is an annual late-summer men's tennis tournament played in Washington, D.C. as part of the ATP Tour. It was first held in 1969. It was later known as the Sovran Bank Classic. . Originally an event of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour and part of the Grand Prix Championship... , USA |
Hard |  Wayne FerreiraWayne Ferreira Wayne Richard Ferreira is a former tennis player from South Africa. He attended Parktown Boys' High School.... |
6–2, 6–4 |
| 26. | July 29, 1996 | Los Angeles 1996 Infiniti Open The 1996 Infiniti Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the Los Angeles Tennis Center in Los Angeles, California in the United States and was part of the World Series of the 1996 ATP Tour... , USA |
Hard | Richard Krajicek Richard Krajicek Richard Peter Stanislav Krajicek is a Dutch former professional tennis player. In 1996 he won the men's singles title at Wimbledon, the only Dutch player to have done so. In the quarterfinals of that tournament he defeated Pete Sampras. This was Sampras' only singles defeat at Wimbledon between... |
6–4, 6–3 |
| 27. | February 17, 1997 | Memphis Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup are tennis tournaments held in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships is a men's ATP Tour event that has been held since 1976. In previous years it has been known as the U.S. Indoor Championships, the... , USA |
Hard | Todd Woodbridge Todd Woodbridge Todd Andrew Woodbridge is an Australian former tennis player. He was born in Sydney and turned professional in 1988. He is best known for his successful Doubles partnerships with Mark Woodforde and later Jonas Björkman... |
6–3, 6–4 |
| 28. | March 10, 1997 | Indian Wells, USA | Hard | Bohdan Ulihrach Bohdan Ulihrach Bohdan Ulihrach is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.-Career:Ulihrach turned professional in 1993. He won his first top-level singles title in July 1995 at Prague, where he defeated Javier Sánchez in the final... |
4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 29. | April 7, 1997 | Hong Kong, UK | Hard | Patrick Rafter |
6–3, 6–3 |
| 30. | April 21, 1997 | Orlando, USA | Clay | Grant Stafford Grant Stafford Grant Stafford is a former tennis player from South Africa.Turning professional in 1990, Stafford won five doubles titles during his career. The right-hander reached his highest individual ranking on the ATP Tour on January 31, 1994, when he was ranked 53rd in the world.-External links:*... |
4–6, 6–2, 6–1 |
| 31. | July 14, 1997 | Washington, D.C., USA | Hard | Petr Korda Petr Korda Petr Korda is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. He is best known for winning the Australian Open in 1998 and for testing positive for the banned substance, nandrolone, following a match at Wimbledon that same year.-Career:Korda was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia.He first... |
5–7, 6–2, 6–1 |
| 32. | August 24, 1998 | Boston U.S. Pro Tennis Championships The U.S. Pro Tennis Championships was the oldest professional tennis tournament played until its final year of 1999 and is considered as a part of the professional grand slam from 1927 - 1967 until the advent of Open Era... , USA |
Hard | Paul Haarhuis |
6–3, 6–4 |
| 33. | October 5, 1998 | Shanghai, China | Carpet |  Goran IvaniševićGoran Ivaniševic Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous... |
4–6, 6–1, 6–2 |
| 34. | July 24, 2000 | Los Angeles, USA | Hard | Jan-Michael Gambill Jan-Michael Gambill Jan-Michael Charles Gambill is an American tennis player who made his professional debut in 1996. His highest singles ranking to date is World No. 14, which he first reached on June 18, 2001... |
6–7(2), 6–3, retired |
Runner-ups (24)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| 1. | September 18, 1989 | Los Angeles, USA | Hard | Aaron Krickstein Aaron Krickstein Aaron Krickstein , nicknamed "Marathon Man", is a former American professional tennis player, who competed on the ATP Tour from 1983 to 1996. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he currently competes on the Outback Champions Series Over-30 tour.Krickstein reached his career high ATP ranking of World No.... |
2–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2. | July 30, 1990 | Los Angeles, USA | Hard | Stefan Edberg Stefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... |
7–6(4), 2–6, 7–6(3) |
| 3. | November 5, 1990 | Wembley Wembley Championship The Wembley Championship was a tennis event held from 1934–1990 with some periods of inactivity in between and is considered as a part of the professional grand slam from 1927 - 1967 until the advent of the open era... , UK |
Carpet |  Jakob HlasekJakob Hlasek Jakob Hlasek is a former professional tennis player from Switzerland.-Career:The major highlights of Hlasek's career came in 1992. He won the French Open men's doubles title that year... |
7–6(7), 6–3 |
| 4. | December 10, 1991 | Grand Slam Cup Grand Slam Cup The Grand Slam Cup was a tennis tournament held annually at the Olympiahalle in Munich in Germany from 1990 through 1999. The event was organized by the International Tennis Federation , which invited the best-performing players in the year's Grand Slam events to compete in the Grand Slam Cup.The... , Munich, Germany |
Carpet | David Wheaton David Wheaton David Wheaton is a former professional tennis player from the United States.Born in Minneapolis, Wheaton played in his first tournament at age eight, and won the Minnesota State High School tennis title in 1984, as a ninth grader. In 1987, he won the US Open junior title and was ranked the No. 1... |
7–5, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 5. | April 13, 1992 | Hong Kong Hong Kong Open (tennis) The Hong Kong Open is a defunct tennis tournament that was held in Hong Kong on the Grand Prix tour from and the ATP Tour from... , UK |
Hard | Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... |
7–5, 6–3 |
| 6. | December 8, 1992 | Grand Slam Cup, Munich, Germany | Carpet | Michael Stich Michael Stich Michael Detlef Stich is a former professional tennis player from Germany. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1991... |
6–2, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 7. | August 2, 1993 | Los Angeles, USA | Hard | Richard Krajicek Richard Krajicek Richard Peter Stanislav Krajicek is a Dutch former professional tennis player. In 1996 he won the men's singles title at Wimbledon, the only Dutch player to have done so. In the quarterfinals of that tournament he defeated Pete Sampras. This was Sampras' only singles defeat at Wimbledon between... |
0–6, 7–6(3), 7–6(5) |
| 8. | August 23, 1993 | Long Island ATP Long Island The Volvo International – also known as the Pilot Pen International – is a defunct professional tennis tournament played on clay courts from 1973 to 1984 and on outdoor hard courts from 1985 to 1998. It was first held at the Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire in the... , USA |
Hard | Marc Rosset Marc Rosset Marc Rosset is a former professional tennis player from Switzerland who is best remembered for winning the men's singles Gold Medal at the 1992 Olympic Games.... |
6–4, 3–6, 6–1 |
| 9. | January 31, 1994 | San Jose SAP Open The SAP Open is a men's tennis tournament held annually in San Jose, California. It is the second-oldest tennis tournament in the United States, which is still played. It is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour... , USA |
Hard | Renzo Furlan Renzo Furlan Renzo Furlan is a former tennis player from Italy.Having turned professional in 1988, Furlan represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was defeated in the quarter finals by India's Leander Paes... |
3–6, 6–3, 7–5 |
| 10. | April 4, 1994 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... |
6–4, 6–2 |
| 11. | October 10, 1994 | Tokyo ATP Tokyo Indoor The Tokyo Indoor was a men's tennis tournament played in Tokyo, Japan. It was one of the most prestigious in terms of prize money available. The event was played as part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour from 1978 to 1989 and part of the Grand Prix Championship Series, the precursors to the Masters... , Japan |
Carpet | Goran Ivanišević Goran Ivaniševic Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous... |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 12. | February 6, 1995 | San Jose, USA | Hard | Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... |
6–2, 1–6, 6–3 |
| 13. | February 20, 1995 | Philadelphia U.S. Pro Indoor The U.S. Pro Indoor is a defunct professional tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts, and indoor hard courts... , USA |
Carpet | Thomas Enqvist Thomas Enqvist Thomas Karl Johan Enqvist is a former professional tennis player from Sweden.He was quickly touted as the only Swede who could follow in the footsteps of Stefan Edberg and Björn Borg, and was ranked as high as No. 4 on the ATP Rankings.Enqvist was a force on the Swedish Davis Cup team... |
0–6, 6–4, 6–0 |
| 14. | May 29, 1995 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | Thomas Muster Thomas Muster Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list... |
7–5, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 15. | August 7, 1995 | Cincinnati Cincinnati Masters The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between... , U.S. |
Hard | Andre Agassi |
7–5, 6–2 |
| 16. | November 14, 1995 | Year-End Championships Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... , Hanover Hanover Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg... , Germany |
Carpet (I) | Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... |
7–6(3), 6–0, 7–6(5) |
| 17. | January 15, 1996 | Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia | Hard | Boris Becker |
6–2, 6–4, 2–6, 6–2 |
| 18. | April 8, 1996 | Hong Kong, UK | Hard | Pete Sampras |
6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 19. | August 5, 1996 | Cincinnati, USA | Hard | Andre Agassi |
7–6(4), 6–4 |
| 20. | August 26, 1996 | U.S. Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... , New York City, USA |
Hard | Pete Sampras |
6–1, 6–4, 7–6(3) |
| 21. | September 30, 1996 | Singapore ATP Singapore The WTA Singapore Open is a defunct WTA Tour affiliated tennis tournament played from 1986 to 1994. It was held at the National Stadium in Singapore. The tournament was held on indoor hard courts in 1986 and on outdoor hard courts from 1987 to 1994.-Singles:... |
Carpet | Jonathan Stark Jonathan Stark Jonathan Stark is a former professional tennis player from the United States. During his career he won two Grand Slam doubles titles . Stark reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking in 1994.-Early life:Stark was born in Southern Oregon in the city of Medford on April 3, 1971... |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 22. | February 16, 1998 | Memphis, USA | Hard | Mark Philippoussis Mark Philippoussis Mark Anthony Philippoussis is an Australian tennis player. He turned professional in 1994. His father is Greek, while his mother is of Italian ancestry.... |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 23. | April 20, 1998 | Orlando, USA | Clay | Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... |
7–5, 3–6, 7–5 |
| 24. | January 10, 2000 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Magnus Norman Magnus Norman Magnus Norman is a retired Swedish professional tennis player who is best known for being the runner-up at the French Open in 2000 and for briefly being ranked World Number 2. He won 12 singles titles, including a Tennis Masters Series tournament in Rome, Italy.Norman reached his career high... |
3–6, 6–3, 7–5 |
Singles performance timeline
| Tournament | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
A | A | A | A | A | 3R | 2R | A | SF | F | SF | 2R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | A | 0 / 10 |
| French Open | A | 3R | W | QF | QF | 3R | 2R | 3R | F | 3R | 4R | 3R | 1R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1 / 16 |
| Wimbledon | A | 2R | 4R | 4R | 1R | 1R | 3R | QF | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | 2R | 2R | 2R | A | 0 / 14 |
| US Open | 2R | 4R | 4R | 3R | 4R | SF | QF | 4R | QF | F | SF | 2R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 0 / 17 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 1 / 57 |
| Indian Wells Masters Indian Wells Masters The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California.... |
A | 1R | QF | A | QF | W | SF | 3R | 3R | W | W | A | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 3 / 14 |
| Miami Masters Miami Masters The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park... |
A | A | A | A | 3R | W | 1R | 3R | 2R | QF | 2R | A | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1 / 12 |
| Monte Carlo Masters | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | A | A | 0 / 3 |
| Rome Masters Rome Masters The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's... |
A | A | A | 1R | A | QF | 1R | SF | 2R | QF | A | 1R | QF | 2R | 2R | A | A | 0 / 10 |
| Hamburg Masters Hamburg Masters The German Open Hamburg, established in 1892, is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Hamburg, Germany and part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour. Originally a Grand Prix Tennis Tour event between 1978 and 1989 it was part of the Grand Prix Championship... |
A | A | A | 1R | A | 2R | 1R | A | A | A | A | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | A | 0 / 7 |
| Canada Masters Canada Masters The Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour... |
A | A | A | W | 1R | A | 3R | 3R | QF | A | SF | A | 3R | 2R | 1R | A | A | 1 / 9 |
| Cincinnati Masters Cincinnati Masters The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between... |
A | QF | QF | QF | 3R | SF | W | W | F | F | SF | 2R | QF | 1R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 2 / 16 |
| Madrid Masters Madrid Masters There are two sporting events named the Madrid Masters:*Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open — a men's and women's tennis tournament*Madrid Masters... (Stockholm) |
A | A | A | 3R | A | A | A | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 2 |
| Paris Masters Paris Masters The Paris Masters is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Paris, France. It is played indoors at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. The event is part of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 on the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour... |
A | A | QF | 1R | SF | 2R | 3R | SF | QF | 3R | 2R | 1R | SF | 3R | A | A | A | 0 / 12 |
| Tennis Masters Cup Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... |
A | A | RR | A | A | RR | RR | RR | F | RR | RR | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 7 |
| Runners-up | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Titles | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 |
| Overall Win-Loss | 4–4 | 23–13 | 47–17 | 36–21 | 47–20 | 57–23 | 66–21 | 66–21 | 65–19 | 65–19 | 57–21 | 35–17 | 30–22 | 42–26 | 16–21 | 7–16 | 2–10 | 662–312 |
| Year End Ranking | 163 | 30 | 5 | 15 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 29 | 48 | 32 | 94 | 124 | 383 |
Further reading
- Michael Chang: Tennis Champion (1993) by Pamela Dell ISBN 0-516-04185-1
- Holding Serve Persevering On And Off The Court (June 4, 2002) by Michael Chang, Mike Yorkey ISBN 0-7852-6656-9