He tells us why he thinks he can take on Andy Roddick and win with John McEnroe at the inaugural Pickleball Slam.
If you’re a tennis fan, you probably remember Michael Chang from the 1989 French Open. And if you followed that Open, he’s impossible to forget: The American was just 17 when he made his improbable run at Roland Garros. In that heart-stopping series of matches, he became the youngest man ever to win a singles major.
Now 51, Chang is retired and has kept busy coaching the next crop of new talent in Southern California. But this weekend, he’s returning to the court, albeit, a much smaller one: Chang will compete against tennis greats John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, and Andy Roddick in Hollywood, Florida for a $1 million prize — in the inaugural Pickleball Slam.
It seems like everyone is talking about pickleball these days (the phrase “fastest-growing sport in America” is volleyed around pretty much constantly), and this competition will offer tennis superstars a chance to flex their muscles and “dink” their hearts out on a pickleball court. In it, Chang will face off against Roddick — a former world No. 1 known for his powerhouse serve. (Which, as Chang was delighted to point out, won’t do Roddick any good on a pickleball court: “The one thing I’m extremely happy about is that I don’t have to contend with a 140-mile-per-hour serve coming at me,” he tells us.) Then he’ll be paired up with McEnroe, who’s already talking some smack on social media, for a game of doubles.
Chang, like his opponents, has plenty of experience swinging a racket, but has had to get used to wielding a paddle these past few months. We spoke to him about his training, how he’s adapting to the sport, his much-anticipated pairing with McEnroe, his legacy as a prodigy, and more.
Katie Couric Media: How are you preparing for the slam — had you played much pickleball before?
Chang: I played pickleball once before I got asked to do this event — if I’m not mistaken, I think all four of us are in the same boat. It’s been a fun process. Obviously, there are some similarities to tennis, but there are a lot of differences as well. What we’re able to do with a tennis racket and tennis ball, some of the spin you can put on shots, you’re just not able to do in pickleball. And then, “the kitchen” in pickleball [the part of the court from which players aren’t allowed to hit] takes some getting used to. In the beginning, it was very, very difficult for me to not step in that kitchen, because I’ve been playing tennis since I was six and I’ve always been told to go to the net.
How do you feel about your odds against Andy?
I’m not totally sure, to be honest with you. I’ve never seen him play pickleball before. I was teasing some of the guys that I’ve been working out with — asking if they have any friends over in Texas who could scout Roddick for me.
The one thing I am extremely happy about is that I don’t have to contend with his 140-mile-per-hour serve coming at me, and I don’t have to worry about his Mach-1 forearm being ripped at me. Because if Andy’s going to try to do that with a paddle and a pickleball, he’s not gonna be successful.
Do you think you and John will play well together?
I think John has the best hands out of all of us, bar none. He’s a serve-and-volleyer, and he’s great at the net. Obviously, he’s the oldest in the group, but he still practices a lot of tennis. I’ve played him these past few years and his hands are still remarkable. So whether that translates to pickleball or not, we’re gonna have to wait and see.
Do you think people will tune in to watch this weekend?
Whoever came up with this Pickleball Slam idea, I think they nailed it. You’ve got four slam champions playing and I think that’s built up a lot of curiosity about how we’ll actually do out there, and how we’ll be able to adapt. I’ve had a lot of people come up and tell me they’ll be watching, and say, “I can’t wait to see you guys battle it out on a pickleball court.” And I’m just as curious as everyone else. Hopefully Mac and I win, but I’m looking forward to it.
So are you a pickleball convert now?
Tennis will always be my number one racket sport, it’s just so close to my heart. I’ve experienced so much through tennis and I’ve just received so many blessings from the sport.
But I’ve really enjoyed learning pickleball over the past few months, and I do see myself playing more in the future. I’m probably not gonna play on a tour, like Sam Querrey, but I’ve loved picking it up and have made a number of friends in my area through it.
How do you feel about still being the youngest men’s player to win a slam? Are you surprised that record stands?
There have been other 17-year-olds that have won slams, you know: Mats Wilander, Boris Becker, but to be the youngest is very, very special. I do think that it’s going to be a record that’s difficult to beat. I’m not saying that it’s impossible, but in today’s tennis where the players are so physical and can generate so much power and spin — especially with the new technology of the rackets and strings — I do think it’s a little bit more difficult for a younger teenager to break through against men that are fully trained in the sport.
How do you think the men’s game will evolve in the post-Federer/Nadal/Djokovic era?
I don’t think you can count Novak out quite yet. He’s in his mid-30s and he’s looking just as fit as ever. He’s still looking like the man to beat. But you’ve also got so many incredibly talented players that are really making their mark — with Carlos Alcaraz leading the way. I think the future of tennis looks very bright.
And U.S. tennis is looking quite promising: Taylor Fritz has been doing well, you’ve got Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul. We’ve got six to eight guys that are doing very, very well, and you haven’t seen that since our generation. So it’ll be fun to watch those players over these next three to five years. Hopefully someone will break though and give everybody else the confidence to be able to go out there and not only do well in slams, but win.
