His family name is synonymous with luxury lodging and elegant dining in Brazil, but Antonioni Fasano lives a much more modest life as a freshman member of the Northwestern University tennis team. He shares a dorm room with a teammate and typically grabs a bite to eat on campus — pasta is his favorite — because he’s too busy studying or playing tennis to explore Chicago.
“It’s really busy, especially now with the (tennis) season. We’ve been traveling every single weekend, playing a match at home whenever we’re here, so there’s not time to go out to Chicago and do anything,” Fasano, 19, told the Tribune.
Fasano’s relatives, meanwhile, have built a hotel and restaurant empire. The family was dubbed “the biggest name in Brazilian hospitality for over a century” by the Wall Street Journal last year. The restaurant chain, which dates back to 1902, has reportedly welcomed Fidel Castro, Nat King Cole and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, among other prominent figures. Fasano’s dad, Fabrizio Fasano Jr., is a judge on “Bake Off Brasil” — a TV competition inspired by “The Great British Bake Off” — and its spinoff for children.
More than 5,000 miles away, Antonioni Fasano is charting a different path. The teenager — who has a twin brother, Lorenzo — has not yet declared a major, but said he is focusing on economics.
He grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil and moved to Spain for a year to focus on tennis. Fasano said he realized a few years ago that he may not want to be a professional tennis player, so he decided to go to college so he could study while he played tennis.
His talent drew the attention of Northwestern head men’s tennis coach Arvid Swan.
“He’s one of our best players as a freshman, which is pretty remarkable. He’s a very talented tennis player, both in singles and doubles and he’s really integrated well with the team,” Swan told the Tribune, adding that Fasano is very humble.
“His parents have done a great job of raising him. I know he has kind of an unusual family background, but you would never, when speaking with him, know that his family is well-known in Brazil.”
Northwestern has long attracted kids of famous parents. “Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus and “Saturday Night Live” alum Brad Hall are often seen on the sidelines cheering for their son, Northwestern basketball player Charlie Hall. Actress-director Maude Apatow, the daughter of director-producer Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann, is a second-year Northwestern student.
Recent alum also include actress Tess Musky-Goldwyn, the daughter of “Scandal” star Tony Goldwyn and production designer Jane Musky; and actress Anna Baryshnikov, the daughter of dancers Mikhail Baryshnikov and Lisa Rinehart.
Fasano said his parents plan to visit him here soon. His father once told a journalist that “Bake Off” fans often approach him on the street, but the junior Fasano appears to keep a lower profile.
“I don’t think we’re as big as basketball (in terms of) fans out there asking for pictures,” said Fasano, who has amassed a 6-5 singles record and a 2-6 doubles record so far this season. “We do, after some good matches, get some people saying congratulations and that they were there watching it.”
The Wildcasts are scheduled to play March 9 at home against the University of Illinois.
Twitter @tracyswartz
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