By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
On June 11, 1989 seventeen-year-old Michael Chang became the youngest man to win a major title, concluding an improbable run to the men’s singles title at the French Open by defeating Stefan Edberg 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the singles final at Roland Garros.
Angel Lopez, one of Chang’s primary early coaches, could hardly believe what he was seeing.
“I had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming or not,” said Lopez. “He was only 17 year old.”
A Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) Level 2 coach, Lopez worked with Chang from when Chang was 10 years old until 12 years old and said he was “a smartest young boy I’ve ever seen.”
Said Lopez, “I can’t remember him making a bad shot selection. He was lightning fast, super intelligent and very focused. He had that quiet confidence.”
“It was amazing he won the French Open in 1989 as a 17 year old, he won the USTA National 18s singles title at Kalamazoo as a 15-year-old, he also won the San Diego High School singles title as an eighth grader. He was that good.”
“I remember when Michael was coming up people were saying he would never make it because he was too small,” said Lopez. “He was Chinese American and there were not very many Asian players back then. Michael played with a big heart, he was super fast, super intelligent, super focused. He played like his life depended on it. He had a close knit family and brother Carl with him. My former coach Pancho Segura worked with him and Jose Higueras as well. A few months before the 1989 French, Michael and Carl played an exhibition mixed doubles match at my club. I introduced them as one of the best junior players in the world. Who would have foreseen he would have been ranked as world No. 2?”
Lopez has been a PTR member since 1987. He first became a member of the organization after spending time and becoming friends with PTR founder Dennis Van der Meer. “I love the way he taught the game,” said Lopez of Van der Meer. “I immediately noticed how diverse the PTR community was. I really enjoyed going to all the symposiums back in the 90s and the 2000s. The camaraderie of the PTR professionals was very noticeable.”
Lopez has also worked with standout players Zina Garrison, Kelly Jones and Alexandra Stevenson and still spends most daylight hours on the court at the San Diego Tennis and Racquet Club where he has worked since 1979. In 2005, Lopez was named the PTR International Professional of the Year
Chang’s victory at the 1989 French Open ended a 34-year drought by American men at the French Championships, becoming the first American man to win the French title since Tony Trabert in 1955. Said Tony Trabert to Bud Collins of the Boston Globe after Chang’s victory, “What a performance to finish that one off. It was one of the most courageous I’ve ever seen. Much tougher physically and mentally than mine in ’54, straight sets over Art Larsen, and ’55, four sets over Sven Davidson. Michael is one of the most remarkable kids to come into this game.” Said Edberg of Chang, “He runs down everything.”
