"Tennis is a high profile sport," observes the No. 2 player in the world. "it’s covered by the press, it’s on TV, and there are events all around the world. I realize I have a wonderful opportunity to touch people’s lives, particularly kids growing up."

Michael was a kid himself when he first burst onto the pro tennis scene in 1987,. He had been on the Tour a little more than a year when, at age 17, he stunned the tennis world by upsetting tennis greats Ivan Lendl and Stefan Edberg on the way to his first Grand Slam title --- the 1989 French Open. His name was entered into the history books as the youngest player ever to win a Grand Slam event.

Now, in his 10 years as a pro, he has reached the finals of three of the four Grand Slams( the Australian, the French, and the US Open). He has captured over 28 tournament titles, earning more than $13 million in prize money. In 1996, he finished in the Top 10 in the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour (ATP) rankings for the fifth consecutive year, joining Pete Sampras and Goran Ivanisevic as the only players to achieve that feat. He won at least 60 matches for the fourth consecutive year, and served a personal record of 534 aces.

On the tennis circuit he is the model of persistence and determination. As Edberg has said, "Chang never ever gives up." Referring to hi intensity and his amazing ability to get to "impossible" shots, one sportswriter called Michael, " the most exciting player since Jimmy Connors. " Another concluded, "Jim Courier speaks for all the pros when he says, ‘You have to play your best tennis to beat him.’"

In spite of the hectic schedule of the Pro Tour, and a career that continues to blossom, Michael doesn’t forget his responsibilities to his young fans. He goes out of his way to reach out to them and have a positive impact on their lives. He patiently signs autographs an answers their questions; he participates in a variety of special charities, sports camps, and youth oriented programs.

Another way he touches lives is through hi Tennis Stars of the Future program in Hong Kong. Since 1992, the program has provided equipment and coaching to more than 3,000 children, many of them underprivileged. To emphasize the importance of a good education, Michael has set up the Chang Family Tennis Scholarship Fund at the University of California - Berkeley. He talks to children, reminding them to work hard in school. At every opportunity, Michael always points them to the one thing that has had the greatest impact on his life: having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

"I’ve been fortunate in that I became a Christian the first year I was on the Tour," recalls Michael. "Before all the fame and money, the Lord was there teaching me His way first. The wonderful thing is that I look back at my life and I can see that even when I wasn’t a Christian, He was there looking out for me. I’ve received so much joy , so much love, and so many blessing from the Lord. Now I’m just constantly trying to surrender myself to the Lord, so the Holy spirit can do His work through me."

To Michael, the most important thing is to make Christ the very center of his life, which is a challenge for anyone, especially someone facing the distractions of life on the Tour. "Trying to stay close to the Lord can be very difficult to do by yourself, so you ask the Lord to help you," he says. "You ask Him to be your first love and your first priority. Life will have its ups and down, but regardless of what’s happening in our lives, if we’re focusing on Him, we’ll have the joy that He gives us."

Michael’s family helps him keep his focus by providing him with invaluable spiritual support and encouragement. He is often joined on the Tour by his parents Joe and Betty , his older brother and coach , Carl, and Carl’s wife, Diana. Michael comments, "We sometimes have our own Bible studies together, and we sit down as a family to pray before each match."

It has been said that the family that prays together, stays together, and at a time when so many families are disintegrating under the pressures and demand of popular culture, the Changs are an obvious exception. Their close-knit family is built on faith, love, and selflessness.

"I have a lot of admiration for my family, particularly my parents," says Michael. "My dad was the one who stared us off in tennis and really took the times to coach us. Then, when I first turned pro, my mom traveled with me full-time. It was an incredible sacrifice for both of them to more or less not see each other for four years. There has been a lot of sacrifice, a lot of love – not only in the way they’ve done things for us, but also in their own relationship."

Michael recognizes the importance of role models in his own life. Reflecting on his parents’ example, Michael says, "I hope that when I get married and have kids, I’ll be able to do things just as well!"

Not everyone understands the love and commitment to one another that the Changs have. Some in the tennis community have been critical of the closeness of the family’s relationship, describing it as "smothering" or "overprotective." But Michael believes his family provides him with much-needed stability and perspective—things conspicuously absent in the lives of some of his peers on the Tour. With the help of his family, Chang has avoided many of the problems and pitfalls that inevitably plague "superstar" athletes.

"My family’s there with me, almost on a day-in, day-out basis, so they know the things that go on in my life and where I am. Sometimes they see things I don’t," he says. "We just work at things constantly to prepare better, to have the right focus and the right attitude, and to give everything to the Lord."

Whether it’s in his determination on the court, in the love and respect he has for his family, or his deep and abiding faith in Jesus Christ, Michael Chang is for many a terrific role model.