Last week marked the twentieth anniversary of Michael Chang's historic, near-miraculous victory at the French Open, setting off one of the most improbable Grand Slam title runs in history. Chang's stunning, fourth-round, five-set win over top-ranked Ivan Lendl became his defining moment and helped change the culture of American men's tennis: Twenty years ago, Michael Chang stunned the tennis world by winning the French Open.
At 17 years, 3 months old, Chang became the youngest male Grand Slam champion in history by outlasting Stefan Edberg in another five-set thriller a week later. And his improbable comeback snapped a 34-year-old drought by American men, paving the way for a decade-long American resurgence in France. The Americans won four French Open titles -- and had four runner-up finishes -- over the next ten years.
These days, the now-37-year-old Chang just finished his first acting gig on the Prince of Tennis, a prime-time TV drama series in China. (Is he the "Prince"?) He also oversees his family's foundation that runs Christian-based sports programs. In my book, twenty years later, his French Open victory is still an inspiration. You had the entire world watching, thinking there's no way this Chinese American kid is going to do it. And then he did it.
*
