Meanwhile, his Chinese descent endears him to the Hong Kong public, making him the darling of local tennis fans.
His popularity in the Territory is evident by the way he was mobbed by adoring fans every time he is in Hong Kong _ a treatment that would have flattered many a pop star.
Varsity managed to get hold of him when he was last in town at the Salem Open _ a competition he has won for the past two years _ and talked to him about the stress of touring, the press, his religion and his family.
Q: What are the plusses and minuses of touring?
Chang: I think, for me the positive thing about touring is doing something I enjoy, that is, playing tennis. I think, at the age of 23, having the chance to travel all around the world to see different places, peoples and cultures is something that not everybody gets the chance to do so at this age. You know that I have been doing this for seven years. It is also a lot of fun to do that.
However, one sacrifice I have to make is that I cannot grow up in a normal teenage environment. That is a little bit difficult for me. However, I have Carl (Mr. Chang's elder brother) as my coach and he is really able to tell me what college life is all about. I still keep in touch with friends at home. I am able to do some catching up there.
Another con is that it can be a little bit tiring, but still, I like being a tourist and there are more positive sides than negative sides.
Q: How much does the support of Hong Kong fans affect your play?
Chang: I think for me it is great to have a crowd's support at a match. It is great to have their enthusiasm, care and support, particularly when I am down, and it is nice to know that they are behind you. They keep me going, striving to be better and better. I have been very fortunate to have lots of good fans to protect me here in Hong Kong.
Q: How about your impression of Hong Kong journal- ists?
Chang: I think the Hong Kong journalists have been very fair. You know particularly here in Hong Kong they do not try to hide in your cars or anything to find out things. They are very fair and very professional about the way they handle things and go about. They just organize interviews or have press confer- ences. It works out well. Every now and then in other parts of the world, you get tabloid stuff that may make things a little bit more difficult.
Q: In what ways does Chinese culture affect you?
Chang: It is a tough question. I think one thing that has been very helpful to me, not only in my tennis career, but also in my life, is having a very close family. That really comes from a Chinese back- ground. I think Asians particularly tend to empha sise that closeness - parents being involved in what their kids are doing and kids staying at home until they get married. For me my family has been really one of the keys for my success.
Q: It is well-known that your family members travel a lot around the world with you. How much do they mean to you and your career?
Chang: They definitely mean a lot to me. For the last four years, I have been having Carl travelling with me on an all-time basis. My parents will occasionally come with me not only here in Asia, but also to some of the grand world tournaments. You know I am very fortunate. It is very unique and special when compared to other players on what I have been going through: reaching my family's goal and tests. I think everybody needs a type of support group. For me, it happens to be my family that are the closest to me. For the other players, they sometimes have their wives, children, coaches and other players travelling with them. You can see that everyone needs a kind of support group.
Q: How does religion affect your tennis?
Chang: I think it affects every part of my life because, for me, to be a Christian and to have that personal rela- tionship with the Lord is the first priority in my life. It really helps me to put things in a proper perspec tive as far as what tennis has brought to me is con- cerned. It also helps me to realize that I can go to this town to touch people's lives. I am in a wonder- ful position to do that because tennis is a very high- profile sport which reaches a lot of people through the media and people who come along to matches. For me, touching people's lives is the most import- ant thing. If there is anything lucky that I can always remember, it definitely will come before anything else.
Q: What will you do if you stop having tennis as your career?
Chang: I really have not thought about it seriously. After tennis, I will probably go back to college and major in something. No matter what I will be concentrat- ing on in different parts of my life, I will still be involved in tennis in one way or another _ particu- larly here in Hong Kong and in Asia because it is a place that I am able to use what I have been through to teach a lot of youngsters about tennis. I will go and see what the Lord has prepared for me.