Holding Serve : Persevering on and Off the Court

Now in his 30s and approaching retirement, Michael Chang has had one of the most remarkable careers in modern tennis. A contemporary of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, he burst onto the international scene winning the French Open title aged just 17. Often characterized as David facing Goliath on the tennis court, at just five foot nine inches and 150 pounds, Chang has learnt to rely on more than just brute strength against the big hitters. He was ranked within the top ten players in the world throughout most of the 1990s, but caused controversy by constantly attributing his success to Christ. A serious contender in Grand Slam events, his bold statement of faith in God makes him a positive role model for younger Christians. "As long as my priorities are straight," he says, "I'm able to go out with the mentality to really leave the winning and losing up to the Lord".