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Going Out with Style

Michael Chang retires

By Brian Kluepfel | Special to AsianWeek

Michael Chang holds up the trophy in the championship match of the 2000 Mercedes-Benz Cup.

Chang announced this week that the upcoming season will be his last on the ATP tour, and at the ripe old age of 30 he will devote more time to his family, friends and foundation. In a conference call with the press this week from his home on Mercer Island, Wash., Chang voiced few regrets about a 16-year career that saw him reach heights few tennis players — APA or otherwise — had before.

Chang won his first professional tennis tournament in 1988 at the age of 16, beating Johan Kriek at San Francisco’s Cow Palace. His Bay Area luck held four years later, when he defeated Jim Courier.

In 1989 he became the youngest Grand Slam champion ever, winning the French Open on the famed red clay of Roland Garros Stadium. Although he would contest three other Grand Slam finals in his career, the ‘89 French title remains his only slam victory.

In 1996, when he made the finals of both the Australian and U.S. Opens, he was just one victory away from the ultimate tennis status: the No. 1 ranking on the ATP tour. Had he defeated childhood nemesis Pete Sampras in New York, he would have vaulted to first place in the points standings. As it was, No. 2 was as high as he got.

He seemed satisfied nonetheless (perhaps the $19 million in prize money he’s raked in has softened the blow somewhat). Speaking of his American counterparts Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Sampras — all of who won more major titles than Chang — he said, “It’s a pleasure and honor to be mentioned in the same breath with these three guys. We’ve brought out the best in each other as juniors, and as professionals.” Now that the days of their fiercest rivalries are over, he said, “we can look at each other in the eyes and say ‘it was a lot of fun.’ ”

In an age when athletes and coaches make headlines with decidedly unsporting behavior, others will always remember Chang for his composure on and off the court.

“In the history of the sport, you will not find a player who has conducted himself in a more professional or classy manner than Michael Chang,” said Seibel Open Tournament Director Bill Rapp. Chang will play for the last time at the San Jose tournament this week, and is to be honored with an on-court ceremony on Feb. 10.

“We get frustrated and angry, that’s part of human nature,” said Chang, noted for his devout Christianity. “Sometimes we let emotions get the best of us. But you are a role model to some people and your impact on their lives could be very important.”

One place Chang has had a huge impact on the fans was China, and he said among his more treasured victories are the three consecutive Beijing Opens he captured. (He also has an academy in Hong Kong called Tennis Stars of the Future).

“China has really changed,” said Chang, who has visited the country every year since 1990. “That’s the reason I got behind the [2008] Beijing Olympic bid. It’s an opportunity for people to see what China’s about.”

Chang, who was prevented from signing autographs on his first visit to the mainland, said, “Things have definitely opened up.”

Although his career has been in a relative tailspin since a bad ankle injury in 1998, Chang remains guardedly optimistic about his last turn around the block, which will end with the U.S. Open in September. He’s well rested and is playing in only a dozen tournaments, favorite spots from a career filled with highlights. “Every athlete dreams of going out on top,” he admitted. “I want to finish on a high note and walk out regret-free.”