Michael Chang Quotes

United States, Tennis Player
February 22, 1972

Michael Te-Pei Chang is a retired American professional tennis player. He won 34 top-level professional singles titles, including the 1989 French Open when he was 17. He also was a three-time runner-up at the majors and reached a career best ranking of world No. 2 in 1996. Since he was shorter than virtually all of his opponents, he played a dogged defensive style utilizing his quickness and speed. In 2008, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and he has coached Kei Nishikori since 2014.

I was always really strict on myself about doing everything possible to prepare for competition.

Michael Chang
- Competition
- Strict
I got comments about being too small, too short, there haven't been any Asian players and who am I to go out there and turn pro before my 16th birthday? And that's all good and fine. People want to have their comments and their opinions. Ultimately, you do what you believe in your heart. I think for me, things turned out OK.

Michael Chang
- Believe
- Thinking
- Opinion

Hard work is the only way to go. Strive to be the best you can be and remember that when you try your best, you can't ask any more from yourself, and people can't ask any more from you.

Michael Chang
- Trying
- Remember
- Success
If you quit once, it's so much easier to quit the second, third, fourth time.

Michael Chang
- Easier
- Quitting
- Fourth
As long as there's pasta and Chinese food in the world, I'm okay.

Michael Chang
- World
- Chinese
- Pasta
You can work really hard, but if you're not training in the right way you're not going to improve and get to the level that you want to.

Michael Chang
- Way
- Training
- Right
It has been a difficult road this year, but still I look at every day as a new opportunity.

Michael Chang
It's difficult sometimes when you have somebody who is of a different culture trying to make light of something that is maybe not quite something that they understand.

Michael Chang
- Trying
- Light
- Sometimes

I am actually nondenominational.

Michael Chang
- Actually
I see tendencies, I see body language.

Michael Chang
- Language
- Body
- Tendencies
When you give your best, that's all you can ask of yourself, all that people can ask of you and all that god desires from you. No matter what the result, walk with your head held high.

Michael Chang
- People
- Giving
- Results
My knee feels good right now. I am definitely able to move about whichever way.

Michael Chang
- Moving
- Feels
- Right