i believe the undercurrent of self loathing is the point of the article more than anything about Michael Chang. The article has nothing to do with Michael Chang, it is how a teenage boy reacted to Michael Chang and Asian stereotypes.

this is a story about the author growing up Chinese American. It is about the interaction of stereotypes with individualism. The title refers to how the author could have maybe been a slightly better tennis player if he had not been soooo preoccupied and dedicated to being the exception to any Chinese American stereotype. The author is owning this slight self-destructive childhood flaw and has turned it into a story.