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Holding Serve: Persevering On and Off the Court
Tennis pro Michael Chang shares his personal story of faith, family, and the determination that made him one of America's greatest athletes.
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 26, 2016
This is one of those books that has been sitting on my shelves for years. I mean years. Probably since it was published in the UK in 2003. Ever since not quite making it to the top of the pile (a bit like Michael Chang who rose as high as no.2 in the world). It's one of those books that I decided to read because it won't make the move with me to Sweden. But now having read it, what to make of it?
First of all, this is not a very well written book. For that I put most of the blame on Mike Yorkey whose job I take it to be to craft something readable, but it feels, well, not well edited.
However fortunately that didn't get in the way of appreciating the remarkable achievements of Michael Chang on the tennis court. He was a great player, grand slam winner and top ten player for a long time. This sporting success is remarkable even though it was relayed with little drama.
Thirdly, Michael Chang is a very good man. His moral life is exemplary and this is interesting because 'good' does not always equal 'interesting' when it comes to a biography. Michael has integrity and respect and so refused to talk about his former girlfriends. He was, at time of writing, a virgin so no sexual escapades and he neither did drugs, drink or hijinks. He was a committed family member and a committed Christian who supported various missionary and charitable causes, but for modesty reasons declined to talk about them. Which is good, but again not very interesting. And I find fishing very dull, the thought of it dull and the writing about it dull. Which is unfortunate because it's one of his great passions after Christ, tennis and his family.
So this lack of 'interesting things' made interesting writing even more of a necessity. Oh well. However, Chang's deep faith, integrity and commitment to Christ does make him a role model, and an excellent one at that. I absolutely have a deep respect for his on court achievements and the character which he developed.
Perhaps the most interesting thing was the insight into his Asian upbringing which instilled respect, discipline, hard work, close-knit loyalty and sacrifice into him. Not something I see everyday in many western families.
So a dilemma, the subject matter is highly commendable and the writing is just about OK. If you like tennis and you want to read about how Christian convictions are no obstacle at the very peak of a major sport then read it. For a gripping biography, then this is not the book to choose.
First of all, this is not a very well written book. For that I put most of the blame on Mike Yorkey whose job I take it to be to craft something readable, but it feels, well, not well edited.
However fortunately that didn't get in the way of appreciating the remarkable achievements of Michael Chang on the tennis court. He was a great player, grand slam winner and top ten player for a long time. This sporting success is remarkable even though it was relayed with little drama.
Thirdly, Michael Chang is a very good man. His moral life is exemplary and this is interesting because 'good' does not always equal 'interesting' when it comes to a biography. Michael has integrity and respect and so refused to talk about his former girlfriends. He was, at time of writing, a virgin so no sexual escapades and he neither did drugs, drink or hijinks. He was a committed family member and a committed Christian who supported various missionary and charitable causes, but for modesty reasons declined to talk about them. Which is good, but again not very interesting. And I find fishing very dull, the thought of it dull and the writing about it dull. Which is unfortunate because it's one of his great passions after Christ, tennis and his family.
So this lack of 'interesting things' made interesting writing even more of a necessity. Oh well. However, Chang's deep faith, integrity and commitment to Christ does make him a role model, and an excellent one at that. I absolutely have a deep respect for his on court achievements and the character which he developed.
Perhaps the most interesting thing was the insight into his Asian upbringing which instilled respect, discipline, hard work, close-knit loyalty and sacrifice into him. Not something I see everyday in many western families.
So a dilemma, the subject matter is highly commendable and the writing is just about OK. If you like tennis and you want to read about how Christian convictions are no obstacle at the very peak of a major sport then read it. For a gripping biography, then this is not the book to choose.
May 31, 2023
“God can’t do anything with you until He has broken you to the point where he can rebuild you. That’s what He did with me. I had been holding on for so long. Trying too hard. And now I was going to relinquish it all to Him.”
This is an excellent book. I’m sure many reviewers like to point out that Chang writes too much about his Christian faith and his personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
This is true. Yet, Chang’s faith, along with his Chinese ancestry, supersede tennis in defining his identity. If you want to understand Chang the tennis player, you need to understand Chang the Christian.
Chang would argue that his tennis superstardom did not occur despite his Chinese heritage and Christian faith, but because of them.
Although I’m atheist, I would agree.
Tennis is a difficult sport. It’s individual. It takes extreme physical conditioning and mental focus. There is no off-season and almost constant international travel.
To win a Grand slam at age 17 – the youngest male ever to do so – and to subsequently amass 34 singles titles and a career high ranking of 2 in the world, Chang had to have unshakable confidence and inner strength.
Undoubtedly, the source of his strength was his belief that he was fulfilling God’s plan, and the closely knit Asian family that supported him every step of the way.
I admire the conviction with which Chang lives his values and lets them guide him in tennis and in life. He was a strong and principled boy who became a strong and principled man.
After winning the French open, Chang publicly attributed his success to Jesus Christ. He also told Sports Illustrated he would remain a virgin until he married, a position he reiterates in the book as a 30-year-old bachelor. Given his celebrity status and worldwide travels, he had to have incredible willpower not to succumb to temptation. (He eventually married at age 36 - Wikipedia).
More than that, he had to have incredible courage to make those statements to a worldwide audience, knowing how polarizing religion and sex can be, and the inevitable backlash he would face. I don’t think Chang worried about that for a minute.
Chang had other worries. After his early success, and rapid rise, his ranking plummeted and he began losing more and more. At one point he fell back into the challenger circuit, fighting to earn a spot in the main draw at professional level tournaments.
Chang and his brother Carl (who later became his coach) recognized the game of tennis was changing. They adapted by experimenting with a longer racquet to add power. They changed the mechanics of his serve to keep up with the giants of the era who threatened to dominate with massive serves. They did insane workouts to build Chang’s muscles and conditioning.
I found this section of the book sobering. There is no straight line to greatness, and there is no playbook for how to climb out of a rut at that level of the game. Chang ended up overtraining, and his body parts succumbed one after the other, from hip to knee to wrist to groin.
Chang does not, however, brood over his bad luck or blame his brother for misguiding him on training.
Chang is too good for all that. He doesn’t use the book to pick any bones or settle any scores, although there was a lot he could've but didn't say about McEnroe and others.
You are left only with a man of unimpeachable character who, despite the many obstacles and struggles before his path, persevered and won in every way that really counts.
This is an excellent book. I’m sure many reviewers like to point out that Chang writes too much about his Christian faith and his personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
This is true. Yet, Chang’s faith, along with his Chinese ancestry, supersede tennis in defining his identity. If you want to understand Chang the tennis player, you need to understand Chang the Christian.
Chang would argue that his tennis superstardom did not occur despite his Chinese heritage and Christian faith, but because of them.
Although I’m atheist, I would agree.
Tennis is a difficult sport. It’s individual. It takes extreme physical conditioning and mental focus. There is no off-season and almost constant international travel.
To win a Grand slam at age 17 – the youngest male ever to do so – and to subsequently amass 34 singles titles and a career high ranking of 2 in the world, Chang had to have unshakable confidence and inner strength.
Undoubtedly, the source of his strength was his belief that he was fulfilling God’s plan, and the closely knit Asian family that supported him every step of the way.
I admire the conviction with which Chang lives his values and lets them guide him in tennis and in life. He was a strong and principled boy who became a strong and principled man.
After winning the French open, Chang publicly attributed his success to Jesus Christ. He also told Sports Illustrated he would remain a virgin until he married, a position he reiterates in the book as a 30-year-old bachelor. Given his celebrity status and worldwide travels, he had to have incredible willpower not to succumb to temptation. (He eventually married at age 36 - Wikipedia).
More than that, he had to have incredible courage to make those statements to a worldwide audience, knowing how polarizing religion and sex can be, and the inevitable backlash he would face. I don’t think Chang worried about that for a minute.
Chang had other worries. After his early success, and rapid rise, his ranking plummeted and he began losing more and more. At one point he fell back into the challenger circuit, fighting to earn a spot in the main draw at professional level tournaments.
Chang and his brother Carl (who later became his coach) recognized the game of tennis was changing. They adapted by experimenting with a longer racquet to add power. They changed the mechanics of his serve to keep up with the giants of the era who threatened to dominate with massive serves. They did insane workouts to build Chang’s muscles and conditioning.
I found this section of the book sobering. There is no straight line to greatness, and there is no playbook for how to climb out of a rut at that level of the game. Chang ended up overtraining, and his body parts succumbed one after the other, from hip to knee to wrist to groin.
Chang does not, however, brood over his bad luck or blame his brother for misguiding him on training.
Chang is too good for all that. He doesn’t use the book to pick any bones or settle any scores, although there was a lot he could've but didn't say about McEnroe and others.
You are left only with a man of unimpeachable character who, despite the many obstacles and struggles before his path, persevered and won in every way that really counts.
March 29, 2022
Still a big fan of Michael.
March 6, 2008
not for everyone, but an easy, fast and enjoyable read if you're a fan. its a very honest account of his upbringing and perspective on success, life challenges and faith.
as my sister and i used to be huge lendl fans growing up, i remembered watching him play chang at the french open. at the time, i wasn't too keen on chang bc he defeated our favourite, but over time we were won over. the first chapter was my favourite as it was a complete behind-the-scenes breakdown on his win at the French Open.
as my sister and i used to be huge lendl fans growing up, i remembered watching him play chang at the french open. at the time, i wasn't too keen on chang bc he defeated our favourite, but over time we were won over. the first chapter was my favourite as it was a complete behind-the-scenes breakdown on his win at the French Open.
April 26, 2012
I've always loved Michael Chang. This is his story in his own words. I love how he found peace and serenity during his difficult seasons of life by going out fishing. The stories about his rivalry with his brother growing up and how close they were are heart warming.
Then, of course, his personal descriptions of his French Open victory are worth the book by itself.
It's generally a light read, but a great one. Thanks Michael Chang!
Then, of course, his personal descriptions of his French Open victory are worth the book by itself.
It's generally a light read, but a great one. Thanks Michael Chang!
January 10, 2010
As a high school tennis player I will always remember Chang winning the French Open. This look into his life as a Christian man was inspiring to me.
January 11, 2013
I enjoyed this.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews