Former No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings Michael Chang has seen the growth of professional tennis in Shanghai going back more than 25 years.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame member won his second-to-last tour-level title in Shanghai on 11 October, 1998, when he defeated Goran Ivanisevic in three sets. It was also the last of Chang’s 12 ATP Tour titles in Asia. Overall he won 34 tour-level titles, including a streak of at least one for 11 consecutive years.
The first ATP Tour tournament in Shanghai was held in 1996 and two years later, the Shanghai Ba-shi ownership group bought the event. Current tournament director Michael Luevano and managing director Charles Humphrey Smith have been instrumental in the leadership and the growth of tennis in Shanghai from the beginning.
At the 2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters, Luevano took Chang on a tour of the on-site ‘Heritage & Flag’ exhibition of Shanghai tennis, located outside Grandstand 2. The exhibition chronicles tennis in Shanghai, which started from scratch. Men's tennis has grown from an ATP 250 tournament to the year-end Nitto ATP Finals in 2002 and 2005-2008 to a current spot since 2009 on the ATP Tour calendar as one of the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. This is the third year that the event is a 12-day, 96-player field, making it the biggest men's tournament in Asia.
"For me, it's always special to come back to China," said Chang, who is back in Shanghai in his coaching role with rising American teenager Learner Tien. "But for me I think coming, obviously to Beijing, but here in Shanghai, to know that you were kind of here when it started."
Photo Credit: Rolex Shanghai Masters
Luevano, who is celebrating his 30th year as a tournament director, reflects on the impact Chang made in the growth of tennis in Shanghai. "Because we had to build, as Michael said, you had to start from scratch," said Luevano. "Michael was already a huge star, and two and three in the world at that time. That's how we built partnerships, that's how we started to build and educate the Chinese fans and players, inspire players."
Luevano added, "He’s responsible for a whole generation of Chinese children playing tennis, not this particular generation, although you're a role model, but the generation before. When I see Mike, I'm emotional, because it's part of my history too."
The themed exhibition chronicles the start of Shanghai tennis which begins with Chang's title. The Shanghai ATP 250 ran for six editions from 1998-2004, skipping in 2002 when the Tennis Masters Cup was staged at the Shanghai International Expo Center. With the success of the first year-end Nitto ATP Finals (then Tennis Masters Cup) in China, then-ATP CEO Mark Miles said during the awards ceremony that there was a future for the season finale to be staged again in Shanghai.
"The fuse was lit when Mark Miles, in the award ceremony of the 2002 Tennis Masters Cup that was in Pudong, in a very large exhibition hall, was so impressed and during his award speech said that certainly he can see in the future Shanghai having a Masters 1000 event, as well as staging the Tennis Masters Cup again," said Luevano. "I think that one statement became the catalyst for the investment that you see, and the government support and vision, which certainly the Chinese are known for, to create the tennis culture, the tennis hardware that we enjoy now.
"For example Qizhong Stadium is certainly an architectural wonder, for one, at least back in 2005 it was. It still remains a one-of-a-kind showpiece for the city."
The exhibition features photos of Chang, Andre Agassi with former Chinese basketball star Yao Ming, along with past Tennis Masters Cup champions such as Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who also owns a record four Rolex Shanghai Masters titles. There are also videos and memorabilia of past champions over the years.
Photo Credit: ATP Tour
Last year the tournament was recognised as Standards of Excellence - the highest-scoring ATP Masters 1000 tournament under ATP's new Player Choice Awards system - where players evaluate tournaments with 25+ standards.
"I had some conversations with different players about what it was like to play here in the very beginning," said Chang. "I came over on the flight (from Beijing), obviously with Learner, but also with Jannik Sinner. And he was like, ‘What was it like playing the first events here’? So I'm telling him what it was like, and how far it's come, and how spoiled they are now.
"It's true. I mean, it's incredible. I don't know, honestly, if people actually realise what is available for the players now. I mean, if you go and you just take a look at the gym and the way these guys are preparing it for the players, the food and the drink, everything is first class.
