ESPN’s new “30 for 30” documentary features Taiwanese American tennis player Michael Chang, highlighting his career-defining moment at the 1989 French Open. The documentary series, titled “American Son,” premiered on ESPN on Monday.
- The docuseries: Directed by Jay Caspian Kang, “American Son” tells the story of Chang’s upbringing, “shaped by his family’s immigrant experience,” his rapid and unforgettable rise in the tennis world and the challenges he overcame to “achieve success,” according to ESPN. The documentary was initially scheduled to premiere at the Tribeca Festival in June 2023, but the sports network postponed it to July 2024.
- About the star: Chang made history by becoming the youngest male tennis player to win a major title at the 1989 French Open at 17-years-old, defeating Czech tennis star Ivan Lendl, who was the world’s No. 1 and a three-time French Open champion at the time. Since then, Chang has won a total of 34 singles career titles, become a three-time major runner-up and reached a career-high ranking of world No. 2. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2008.
