"That God should take sides against me, feels ludicrous and insulting" - When Andre Agassi recalled being "offended" by Michael Chang

Andre Agassi claimed in his autobiography that Michael Chang thanking God every time he won a match offended him.

The two locked horns on the senior tour for the very first time in the third round of the WCT Tournament of Champions in 1988. Agassi recalled the match in his autobiography "Open", where he stated that Chang developed a "bad habit" of thanking God every time he defeated someone, which offended him.

Agassi stated that the thought of God taking sides in a tennis match was something that felt "ludicrous and insulting". He recalled beating Chang, stating that he savored every stroke throughout the match.

"I go to New York City, the Tournament of Champions, a significant milestone because it’s a clash of the top players in the world. Once more I square off against Chang, who’s developed a bad habit since we last met. Every time he beats someone, he points to the sky," Andre Agassi wrote.

"He thanks God, credits God for the win, which offends me. That God should take sides in a tennis match, that God should side against me, that God should be in Chang’s box, feels ludicrous and insulting. I beat Chang and savor every blasphemous stroke," he added.

Agassi's 6-2, 6-4 win over Chang saw him reach the quarterfinals of the tournament in New York. He eventually went on to win it without dropping a single set, defeating Slobodan Zivojinovic 7-5, 7-6(2), 7-5 in the final.

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Andre Agassi led 15-7 in the head-to-head against Michael Chang

Andre Agassi in action against Michael Chang in 2003

Andre Agassi and Michael Chang locked horns on 22 occasions, with the former leading 15-7 in the head-to-head.

The two faced each other in four finals, with Agassi triumphing in three of those, including two in Cincinnati. The only time Chang beat his compatriot in a title clash was at the 1995 AT&T Challenge in Atlanta, winning 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-4.

They faced one another in a total of five Grand Slam matches, with Agassi coming out on top in the first three, which included a French Open quarterfinal. However, Chang won the next two, with both being Grand Slam semifinals in 1996 (Australian and US Open).

The last encounter between Andre Agassi and Michael Chang came in the second round of the 2003 Miami Open (then known as the NASDAQ-100 Open), with the former winning 6-4, 6-2. Agassi went on to win the tournament by defeating Carlos Moya 6-3, 6-3 in the final.