世界最年輕的網球冠軍張德培
採訪：樓鎧博士
德培，您才十七歲，就贏得了法國網球公開賽世界冠軍，也是世界最年輕的男子網球第一手，真是光榮！恭喜恭喜！
讚美神！這是主的作為，在我眼中看為奇妙！若非祂的恩典與力量，我們是無法成就的！您也許知道，在比賽的時候，我的腿抽筋，好疼啊，幾乎使我腳不能動彈，我根本不能繼續打下去，更談不到贏得這場球賽。
自從您打勝了法國網球賽，您在全球網球界裏公認為神童，您參加上職業網球界僅一年多，您已經是世界網球排行第五名了，身為華裔，所有的中國人都以您為榮，並把您作為他們的模範，尤其是青年人。
我不敢身以為是人家所仰望的模範，人是不完全的，只有神才是完全的，所以，我推荐要找一個理想的模範的人，應該去找耶穌基督，祂是惟一十全十美的人，祂是至高者神的兒子，是世人的救主。
德培，很明顯的，您對耶穌基督有堅強的信心，您是怎樣得來的？
我的父母去千橡樹基督教會聚會，我的祖父是那教會的創始長老之一，我的祖父母是虔誠的基督徒，他們對我在基督耶穌裏的信心十分關心，然而，網球的練習及比賽是如此忙碌，我不能按時去教會聚會，我的祖父母常為我禱告，而且給我一本聖經，在一九八八年間，我和父母去千橡樹教會參加一個特別聚會，我聽了一個基於羅馬書八章廿八節的證道，我深受感動。事後，我到祖父母家裏，祖父把神的救恩講給我聽，又領我禱告，接受耶穌作我個人的救主，有一天，當我在華府附近賽球，我感到有受洗的需要，就打電話給祖父，告訴他這個，在一九八八年十月廿三日我就在千橡樹華人教會受洗歸入基督。從此，我愛讀經，我把聖經帶在身邊去參加不同的球賽，在路上我如不能去教會聚會，我就找打網球的基督徒們，在一起讀經，而每當我返回到加州柑縣柏來生西亞家裏，我總是去離那兒七十五哩的千橡樹教會聚會。
看來，您的信心是建築在聖經上的，那本您祖父所給您的聖經，您對聖經懂了多少？
我十五歲那年得到了我的聖經，我沒有讀多少，直到一天，我閒得無聊，我打開聖 經，選了些特殊的有關跛子能行走，瞎子能看見，以及有關愛、友誼、罪甚至性方面的經文，我生來害羞，我找到了好些我都不願意問我父母的問題與準則，聖經對一切都有答案，聖經不再是一本難讀的書，而是一套新世界的百科全書，是我屬靈生命的新世界，從此我愛讀聖經，從其中我學到了耶穌的生平，我知道神的獨生子耶穌為我們的罪而死，我真受感動，我開始思考我祖父母、父母的神與我個人的關係，我奇怪一個人為什麼要禱告？又如何向宇宙及我生命的創造主禱告？又如何告訴神我生活中的大事小事？逐漸，我從禱告裏得到了信心，我最大的禱告之報償是為母親禱告，她生了瘤又遲延沒有開刀，而病情不樂觀，我們全家都為我媽媽禱告，而她的瘤就消失了，我真感謝神，祂伸援手醫治了媽，我相信神聽我們的禱告，祂也樂意成全我們的懇求。
禱告是每個基督徒最有力的工具，它把萬能的神與脆弱的人類聯合起來，通過這個聯繫，一個普通的人，或一位謙卑的基督徒能從萬能的神支取力量！
是的，真的。舉個例來說，在法國世界冠軍網球賽中，我與世界網球第一把交椅藍道對打，我想他一定會打勝過我，那是沒話可講的，在第五局球時，我汗流夾背，我的腿開始抽筋，我是寸步難移，於是，我求祂把痙攣拿走，並賜我足夠的能力完成這場球賽，神聽了我的禱告，奇蹟般地，我不但打完了那場球，而且還打勝了，接著我又連勝了其餘的幾場球，得了法國公開網球賽的冠軍，我不能不把全部的尊貴榮耀給神，自己真算不得什麼。
德培，那是很高貴的想法，說出神給您贏得這場球賽的事實。
是真的，這也是為什麼我在法國公開賽之後的新聞記者招待會上向全世界說：「耶穌基督今日仍活著！」是的，讓我在這兒重覆一次，那次不是我在打球，耶穌基督仍然活著！
讚美主，德培，是的，我很同意您，耶穌是活著，尤其我們在這就要普世慶祝主復活的今天，記念耶穌為我的罪釘死在十字架上，埋葬了三天，又復活了，叫凡信祂的人有永生，德培，您我同在主內，有相同的看法，我們可以互相了解個人心中的感受，也許我們OK雜誌的讀者想要更多知道耶穌的事，您能和他們介紹那些有關耶穌的事嗎？
哦！我要簡括的說，耶穌是我最好的朋友，我的主，每當我要祂時，祂必來幫助我。也許有人會想，當我們有困難時，需要幫助時，耶穌在那兒？我記起了在我朋友家中掛的一張名叫「足印」的圖畫。
您可否解說清楚些？
這張圖畫相當出名，它描繪一個人做了一個夢，他在夢中與主在沙灘上同行，在天空反映了他一生的事蹟，每一片段的圖片，他總看到沙灘上的兩雙腳印；一對是屬他的，另一對是屬主的，最後他生活的片刻放映中，他回頭一看，沙灘上的腳印，他注意到，好些時，他生命中僅留下一雙腳印，他又注意到，那些單獨的腳印是出現在他生命中的低潮與最悲傷的時後，這使他很騷動，他問主說：「主，曾說過，一旦我跟隨，會永遠與我同行。但是，我注意到，在我生命最困難的時刻，祇有一雙足印，我不懂，為什麼我最需要的時候，卻離開了我？」主回答說：「我的寶貝，最寶貝的孩子，我愛你，我必永不離開你，在你受試煉與痛苦的時候，當你看到一雙足印的當兒，是我抱著你走的時候。」從這個故事裏，我深知耶穌是隨時隨地一直與我同在的，正如祂允許的：「我必與你同在，直到世界的末了。」這是多麼令人安慰的思想與允許！
很好！
你知道，許多新聞記者問我，如果神助我，我是不是就所向無敵了呢？在另外的球賽中也永遠不敗北了呢？我想，在某些時候，我可不一定節節順利，我想一定有人會說：「現在，你的耶穌基督在那裏？」
是啊！您怎麼回答這些責問呢？
對我而言，我覺得，身為基督徒，我在世上有一個使命，那就是我優先一一要來完成的事。你不能屢戰屢勝，你只能在造物者要你在能力範圍中盡力而為之。在我的記憶裏，從來沒有求神讓我贏，只求神按祂的旨意來帶領我。在輸的時候，更學習到謙虛的功課，最重要的是。盡我們的本分，去努力追求，把一切交在神的手中。
德培，很好，讓我們換個題目，您可願意告訴我們有關您的家庭和您自己的過去及近況？
當然願意，我父親是張洪笙，生在中國廣東，我母親的名字是董良因，她是中國外交官的女兒，當我父親從台灣中原理工學院畢業之後，一九六六年就來美讀研究院，他在紐約遇見了我的母親，也在那兒結婚，他們有兩個男孩，我哥哥在加大柏克萊讀書，他是該校網球隊的代表，我沒有讀完高中，但卻考過了高中同等學歷的考試，這樣我可以提早成為職業網球員。但是，我並沒有放棄讀大學的理想，當我一天機會，我會回去讀完大學的。
請告訴我您是怎樣學會網球的？
我六歲起，就跟父親學網球，在八歲時，我就參加好些球賽，為了要有更好的學習環境，我們從明尼蘇達州搬到南加州來，我的球藝隨著年齡與練習而進步。在一九八四年，我十二歲時贏得世界十二歲級單打和雙打冠軍，入選聖地牙哥「名人堂」，一九八五年，十三歲時，我參加十六歲級賽得單打亞軍，一九八六年，十四歲時，越級參加十八歲組贏得國際集會賽十八歲組冠軍，因此得以業餘身份參加職業網球賽，以「外卡」資格參加「駕駛筆」錦標賽的會外資格賽，連勝兩人。一九八七年，十五歲時贏得世界十八歲級青少年總錦標賽冠軍。因此得以業餘身份參加美國網球公開賽，並為世界電腦排名920名。一九八八年二月十六歲轉為職業網球員，世界排名163名。一年之間世界排名升為第三十名。一九八九年，十七歲，蒙神之助，在法國公開賽，贏了世界四大滿貫賽之一的冠軍。打破世界最年輕冠軍球王的記錄，我的世界排名為第六名，其餘都是歷史了，感謝神。
這真是在世界網球賽裏驚人的成就！難怪，您把全部榮耀歸于神！我相信神賜您才幹，而您又殷勤圖奮，能夠登峰造極，那實在太好，德培！
我也這樣認為，信靠神愛我，用我來榮耀祂的聖名，我相信神也愛您，也愛每一位OK的讀者的！就讓祂進入您的生命，任祂控制您的生命，引導您的未來。藉全能的神幫助，我們不會失算的！
德培，謝謝您的贈言，願神繼續祝福您，並使用您，為祂和祂的愛作見證！
Michael Chang
The Word’s Youngest Tennis
Champion
Interview by Dr. Micah Leo
Michael,
at seventeen, you captured the French open and became the youngest winner of a
Grand Slam singles event. What an honor! Congratulations!
Praise
God! It was the Lord’s doing; I could not have done it if it weren’t for His
grace and power. As you probably
know, during the contest I had leg cramps.
It was so painful; my legs were almost demobilized. I could hardly continue to play, to say
nothing of winning the tournament.
Since
you won the French Open, you have been considered a boy wonder in world tennis
circles. You turned professional a
little over a year ago, and you are already number five in world rankings.
Since you are of Chinese descent, the Chinese are proud of you and look up to
you as one of their role models, especially young people.
I
dare not consider myself as someone to look up to. Man is imperfect, only God is perfect. I
would recommend that anyone who wants to look for an ideal model should look to
Jesus Christ, the only perfect one.
He is the son of the most high God and savior
of the world.
Michael,
It is apparent that you have a strong faith in Jesus
Christ. How did this come about?
My
family attends the Chinese Christian
parents are devoted Christians, and they, always concerned about my
faith in Jesus Christ, prayed for me and gave me a Bible. My tennis practice and tournament
schedule are such that I hardly ever can attend church services regularly, but
one day in 1988, my parents and I went to the
It
appears that your faith is based on the Bible, which your grandfather gave you.
Do you understand the Bible well?
I
got my Bible when I was fifteen years old. I did not read much of it until one
day when I had nothing to do. I opened my Bible and read some unique stories
about the lame becoming able to walk, the blind to see, and also scriptures
about love, friendship, sin, and even sex.
Being shy, I discovered many answers to questions that I did not even
want to ask my parents; the Bible has all the answers. It is no longer a difficult book for me
to read; instead, it’s like an encyclopedia for me. From it, I learned
about the life of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten son, who died for our sins.
I was really moved. I started to think about the relationship between the God
of my grandparents and that of my parents and myself. I wondered why one should
pray and how to pray, how to talk to God and tell Him about the important and
trivial things of my life. Gradually I gained faith in prayer. My most rewarding prayer was for my
mother who had a cyst and did not want to have an operation. The prognosis was
not very optimistic. Our whole
family prayed for her, and cyst disappeared. I was very grateful to God for His
healing, I believe that God listened to our prayers, and He was happy to fulfill
our request.
Prayer
is the most powerful tool for Christians.
It is the connection between the almighty God and a fragile human
being. With this
connection, an ordinary man, can draw upon the power of mighty God.
Yes,
indeed. For example, during the French Open, I was playing against the number
one seed, Lend1. I thought that he
was going to win. During the fifth
set, I perspired so much my leg started to cramp. Somehow I was able to gain points. I prayed to my Heavenly Father and asked
Him to take away my leg gramps and to give me enough strength to finish the
game. God listened to my
prayer. Miraculously, I was able to
not only finish the game, I also won the game. From there, I was able to win enough of
the following games to win the French Open. I give all the honor and glory to God; I
am nothing.
Michael,
It’s very noble of you to say that it was God who won the tournament
for you.
It’s
true. That was why I told the world after the French Open that Jesus Christ is
alive and well. Let me repeat that
I was not playing there. Jesus
Christ is alive and well!
Praise
the lord, Michael. I have to agree
with you that Jesus is alive and well! In fact we are about to celebrate
Easter, to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus after He was crucified for our
sins and died on the cross for our iniquities. After being buried for three days, He
rose from the grave so that we who believe in Him shall be saved and have
eternal life. Michael, having the
same faith in Christ, we can understand each other’s feelings about Him. Maybe our O.K. readers would like to
learn more about this Jesus. What would you tell them about Him?
Well,
I would summarize that Jesus is my best friend and lord. Whenever I need Him, He is there to
help. Maybe some people wonder
where Jesus is when they are in trouble and need help. I remember a picture at a friend’s house
entitled Footprints.
Would
you elaborate?
The
picture is pretty famous. It tells
the story of a man who dreamt that he was walking along a beach with the
Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes
from his life.
In
each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one set belonged to
him, the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along
the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that this had happened
at the lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him, and he
questioned the Lord about it. “Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you’d walk with me all the way. But
I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only
one set of footprints. I don’t
understand why when I needed you the most you would leave me.” The Lord replied, “My precious, precious
child, I love you I would never leavc you. During
your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it
was then that I carried you.” From this story I understand that Jesus is with
me at all times and all the way as He promised, “Lo, I am with you always, even
unto the end of the world.” What a comforting thought and promise!
That
is good!
You
know, many reporters have asked me whether I am invincible if God helps
me. They want to know if I can fail
or be defeated in other tournaments.
I think there will be times when maybe I won’t be doing so well, and I’m
sure people will be saying, “Now where is your Jesus Christ?”
How
do you answer such questions?
For
me, being a Christian, I have a job to do on this earth, and that’s my first
priority – to get that job done.
You can’t win all the time.
You can only do as much as you are made to do. Besides, I don’t ever remember asking
God to let me win a tournament, only to allow His will to be done. In losing, I’ve learned the lesson of
humility. The most important thing
is to do your best and leave the rest to God.
That
makes sense! Let’s change the subject, Michael. Would you tell us about your family and
your past?
Sure. My father is Joe H. S. Chang and was
born in
Tell
us how you got your tennis training.
I
started playing tennis with my father when I was six. At eight, I began to enter various
competitions. We moved from
That
truly was an amazing and impressive achievement in the world of tennis
competition. No wonder you gave all the honor to God.
God gave you the talent, and you diligently work to achieve the most
with it. That’s really good,
Michael!
God
loves me and uses me to glorify His holy name. I believe God loves you and the readers
of your O.K. Magazine too. Just let Him come into your life, and let Him
control your life and guide your future.
With the help of almighty God, we will not be shortchanged.
Thank
you, Michael, for your comments.
May God continue to bless you and to use you as a witness for Him and
His love!