Clearly he had great talent and promise. That much was evident to all who saw him play.

But then he started talking about his high ideals. He unabashedly spoke of his love for his family, the importance of his faith in God, and his belief in biblical values and specific moral standards.

Some of Chang’s critics were amused -- after all, he seemed a bit young to be making such pronouncements. Others were openly disdainful. "Sure, Kid! Give it a few years! Wait till you’ve lived a little, and see how you feel then!"

It wasn’t long before Chang established his presence among the best in tennis. He had been on the pro tour little more than a year when, at 17, he stunned the 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 in the history books as the youngest player ever to win a Grand Slam event.

"It came much earlier than we’d ever dreamed," says Chang. "The last four matches in particular were played on inspiration. I never expected it, and I don’t think the tennis world or anyone else expected it. But the Lord has His way of working things."

As he received the winner’s trophy at the French Open, Chang addressed the crowd of more than 60,000 at Roland Garros, thanking everyone who had played a part in his success. He concluded by thanking Jesus Christ, saying, "Without Him, I’m nothing!" Along with the cheers came boos and whistles. TV commentators, coaches, and even other players criticized him for "dragging his religion into everything." They advised him to keep his personal beliefs to himself.

But Chang was unfazed by the response. He continued to speak about his faith at every opportunity, giving God the glory for his success. It’s what he said he would do when he began his career, and there was no reason to stop now.

"I’ve just received so much joy, so much love, and so many blessings from the Lord," he explains. "When something good happens to you, you want to share it with people!"

Plenty of good things have come Michael’s way. In his nine years as a pro, he has captured 23 tournament titles and earned more than 12 million dollars prize money.

A model of consistency, he has held a Top 10 ranking for 5 of those 9 years. In fact, in 1995 Chang finished in the Top 10 in the ATP rankings for the fourth consecutive year, joining Goran Ivanisevic and Pete Sampras as the only players to achieve that feat. Having achieved a career-high ranking of No. 4 in the world, he is not far from the No. 1 spot.

In 1995, he reached the finals of the ATP World Championships for the first time. He defeated the top two seeds, Thomas Muster and Pete Sampras, before losing to Boris Becker 7-6(3), 6-0, 7-6(5) in the title match.

Although he has yet to win a Grand Slam event since his French Open victory, Chang is always a serious contender. Last year he reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, the finals of the French, and the quarterfinals of the US Open. This past January, he improved his performance at the Australian by reaching the finals, where he lost again to Becker in a tough four-setter, 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. He then won his first championship of the year -- the Newsweek Champions Cup at Indian Wells, California.

It’s not just talent that keeps Chang edging near the top of the tennis world. It’s his talent combined with his tireless and persistent competitive spirit. As Edberg has said, "Chang never, ever gives up." Referring to his intensity and his amazing ability to get to and return "impossible" shots, one tennis pundit called Chang "the most exciting player since Jimmy Conners." Another concluded, "Jim Courier speaks for all the pros when he says, ‘You have to play your best tennis to beat him.’"

Early in Chang’s career, the media routinely characterized his matches with allusions to the biblical struggle between David and Goliath. At 5’9" and 150 pounds, Chang appears to be at a disadvantage in a game in which size usually equals power. He constantly faces the threat of being outgunned and overpowered by bigger, taller players. But with guts and determination, he has earned his place among the world’s best, working hard to turn his weaknesses into strengths.

Chang says tennis is "a thinking man’s game," and it shows in the way he strategically conquers his opponents. More than any other player on the tour, Chang is able to change and adapt his game plan to fit the situation, allowing him to find a way to win. His speed and agility on the court make up for what he lacks in height, and his serve -- once a liability -- has now become a weapon. He finished 1995 at No.13 in aces, averaging six per match.

And he continues to improve.

"There’s nothing in my game that’s so solid that I don’t need to work on it," he says. "I’m just continuing to solidify everything. It’s difficult to always be playing your best tennis, but you want to be able to rely on those shots when you really need them."

One of the fittest players on the Tour, Chang spends hours practicing on the court and working out in the gym. Yet he has discovered that there’s more to fitness than exercise. "You work hard on physical conditioning but you also take time to rest. Both play an important role," he says. "Working hard every single day is too hard. It just drains me. I always try to take at least one day off. For me, rest is just as important as hard work, because it refreshes my body. Then I’m up and ready to go, feeling good instead of just dragging along."

Finding that balance in physical conditioning is, for a professional athlete, a key ingredient to success. For Michael, his spiritual conditioning is even more crucial. "I do a Bible study first thing in the morning and also at night. Throughout the day, I’ll pray -- whenever -- because the Lord is always there. He teaches me a lot through circumstances in my life, whether it’s through a tennis match or some other thing that’s going on," says Chang. "Trying to stay close to the Lord can be very difficult to do by yourself, so you ask the Lord to help you. You ask Him to be your first love and your first priority. Life will have its ups and downs, but regardless of what’s happening in our lives, if we’re focusing on Him, we’ll have the joy that He gives us."

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

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 demands 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 started us off in tennis and really took the time to teach us and 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 4 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."

Reflecting on his parents’ example, Michael says, "I hope that as 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."

In the world of professional sports, where athletes often grab more headlines for their outrageous behavior than for their athletic prowess, Chang refuses to conform. Going against the flow, he patiently and consistently lives out the faith he professes.

"If I get off track, the Lord always puts me back," says Chang. "I’ve been fortunate in that I became a Christian the first year I was on the Tour. 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 looking out for me. Now I’m just constantly trying to surrender myself to the Lord, so the Holy Spirit can do His work through me."

To Michael, that means making a difference in the lives of others. One way he touches lives is through his 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. "When I go over to Hong Kong to play a tournament, I take some time to go out and hit balls with the kids an try to encourage them, and give them an opportunity to play the sport. It’s great to see them smiling and having a good time." Chang also helps in a suicide prevention program sponsored by the Hong Kong Department of Education.

In 1994, he served as chairman of ATP Tour Charities, visiting pediatric wards and speaking to youth groups and at sports camps. Along with several other pros, he participated in exhibition matches to benefit the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS. Just prior to the 1995 French Open, Chang hosted the ATP’s Smash Tennis festival in Paris. He spent hours hitting balls with young fans, signing posters and T-shirts, and answering their questions about life on the Tour.

Not surprisingly, many of Michael’s most ardent fans are from the younger generation. And they have a fan in him. "I love kids!" he says. "They always hold a special place in my heart. They’re innocent and enthusiastic and easy to talk to." Whenever he gets a chance to talk to children, Chang reminds them to work hard in school.

Emphasizing the importance of a good education, he has set up the Chang Family Tennis Scholarship Fund at the University of California, Berkeley (Carl’s alma mater). Michael says he plans to attend college himself when he retires from competitive tennis. With his game getting better and better, it may be a while before he trades in his racquet for a text book.

At 15, Chang entered the tennis scene full of promise and principles. Nine years later, his accomplishments -- both on and off the court -- speak for themselves. Even his critics have to admit that Michael Chang is a man who practices what he preaches.

In this day and age, that makes him a rare, valuable commodity in professional sports.