TUESDAY 5:59 PM MARCH 18, 2025 MIAMI
Anyone who was active on Tumblr between the years 2008 and 2013 will remember Francisco Lachowski, the model and preeminent internet boyfriend to day-dreaming, blogging-inclined millennials. Nowadays, though, you’re less likely to see the telegenic Brazilian in a fashion editorial than you are on the tennis court. A longtime player and fan who ditched his own pro tennis ambitions at 17 when the world’s top modeling agencies started calling, Lachowski has been popping up over the last few years at the biggest tournaments on the non-stop tennis circuit, demonstrating his love of the game and his own considerable skills, too, including a vicious whip-around forehand. That’s how I found myself rallying with him last week at a makeshift tennis court at Lot 11 Skatepark, where Swiss athletic brand On teamed up with Boiler Room to bring the city’s tennis fans and club kids together under the Miami sun (and an elevated highway).
“Since two or three years ago, I’ve been introducing my followers to the way that I love tennis,” Lachowski, clad in head to toe On, told me. “That’s my passion, and it’s been working out. I mean, I’m about to play with João Fonseca!” By that he meant: Lachowski and I had been tapped to play in a mini-tennis tournament with On’s two superstar spokesmen—the 18-year-old Fonseca and the American Ben Shelton, two of the biggest young stars in men’s tennis. A motley crew of 12 influencers, journalists, and podcasters, all of us amateur tennis players, were divided into two teams—sunset and sunrise—and outfitted accordingly. From there commenced two games of “Around the World,” the winners of which got the chance to pair up with the pros for a ten-point doubles tiebreak. Lachowski, to his delight, was on team Fonseca. “What he’s doing right now for tennis in Brazil is crazy,” the 33-year-old exclaimed.
Meanwhile, I took my place on Team Shelton alongside two friends of the magazine: Alex Hartman of Nolita Dirtbag and James Harris of Throwing Fits. After two rounds of ATW—in which you return the feed, then sprint to the other side of the court to hit the next shot until only one player is left standing—me and Esteban Said, the Instagram prankster out of Mexico, found ourselves in a once-in-a-lifetime position: playing doubles with Shelton and Fonseca. After the match, Boiler Room got the party started in earnest, celebrating local DJs and musicians as a crowd of giddy Floridians assembled around the DJ booth. If you ever doubted that tennis and club culture could sit side by side, think again: still dripping with sweat from the match, we watched Shenseaa, Cromo X, Pressure Point, and Marte bring the party to a boiling point (pun intended), as revelers danced, enjoyed tacos and flatbread pizza from a nearby food truck, and shopped the latest On collection. Below, Lachowski and I processed it all as best we could: over a rally in a parking lot.
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JAKE NEVINS: Welcome to Miami.
FRANCISCO LACHOWSKI: Thank you very much.
NEVINS: Do you like being here?
LACHOWSKI: I love Miami. I love the vibe.
NEVINS: What do you like about the vibe?
LACHOWSKI: It’s a place where everybody comes together, right? You hear Portuguese, Spanish, all the languages together. It’s very much like New York. To be honest, I like more quiet spots, but it is nice to be here.
NEVINS: You’ve got a wife and two kids. Do you like having the chance to get away from dad life for a bit?
LACHOWSKI: I do. We’re between New York City and Brazil now, and every time I go away I have to bring gifts.
NEVINS: Of course. Are you going to introduce them to tennis?
LACHOWSKI: Oh, yes. They already play.
NEVINS: Yeah?
LACHOWSKI: My oldest wants to play tennis all the time. He practices two times a week, but he wants to do it three times a week, actually.
NEVINS: And you were a pretty competitive player when you were younger, right?
LACHOWSKI: Yeah. I am from Brazil, so the road to be a tennis player in Brazil is a lot harder. Let’s just say that. You need a lot of money coming from either family or sponsors. But I was a very serious tennis player. I thought I could do it and I always wanted to do it, but because of the circumstances, it was impossible. So I gave up on my dreams when I was around 15. And then at 17 years old, I started modeling. And then I built my career, I guess. I’ve been doing very well since then. And now, since two or three years ago, I’ve been introducing my followers to the way that I love tennis. That’s my passion, and it’s been working out. I mean, I’m about to play with João Fonseca! He is the new star of Brazil. And Ben Shelton, the new star of the United States.
NEVINS: Two of the biggest forehands on tour.
LACHOWSKI: Exactly. I want to show my forehand tonight.
NEVINS: I’m excited to see it. Let’s talk about your modeling career.
LACHOWSKI: Yes.
NEVINS: You’ve slowed down a bit, right? I remember when you were everywhere.
LACHOWSKI: Yeah.
NEVINS: Tell me about some of your most memorable experiences.
LACHOWSKI: I would say back in the day, I loved when I was booked for John Galliano shows, when John Galliano had his own brand, because he would let you really live out a character. And every time I did a Gucci show, for me it was amazing. Dior, I did only once, and it was my first campaign and show ever. That actually led me to shooting with Karl Lagerfeld.
NEVINS: You were running with the legends. Now, what were the worst parts of being a full-time model?
LACHOWSKI: I don’t know, man. There’s so many things. I would say the worst is when you have to shoot winter in the summer. I had an experience in Japan where I had to shoot very, very deep winter, very heavy coats in the most humid summer ever outside. I almost fainted. Meanwhile, we’re sweating balls and nobody cares. So yeah, shooting winter in summertime is definitely the worst.
NEVINS: Do you still keep up with the shows each season?
LACHOWSKI: A little bit.
NEVINS: Who’d you enjoy this past season?
LACHOWSKI: There’s so many things changing now, right? Loewe, I guess, was one of the best. I guess Louis Vuitton because of Pharrell. It’s always a fun watch. The latest show from Dsquared2, because Dean and Dan always give you a character to play and it’s very energetic. Actually, I was supposed to be a part of it this year, but it didn’t work out because of timing.
Pressure Point at On x Boiler Room’s Clubhouse Nights in Miami.
NEVINS: Alright, let’s talk tennis. Who’s your favorite player on the men’s side?
LACHOWSKI: I would say Federer is the overall man. But he’s not playing. Other than him, Djokovic. I am a Djokovic fan.
NEVINS: Same.
LACHOWSKI: I know he’s a controversial figure, but I am a Djokovic fan. But right now, it’s definitely João Fonseca. I know he’s 18 and I know he’s growing and he’s not going to win a Grand Slam anytime soon. Maybe he will, I don’t know.
NEVINS: Maybe a few years from now.
LACHOWSKI: But it’s crazy, because I’m from Brazil, and what he’s doing right now for tennis in Brazil is crazy.
NEVINS: Give me an example.
LACHOWSKI: People are freaking out. Tennis is booming in Brazil. And On is becoming one of the biggest brands in Brazil right now because of him. He’s really bringing the [Ayrton] Senna effect. When Senna was the biggest driver in the world in Brazil, he was the hero. And João is almost reaching that status only a year-and-a-half into his career. Just imagine if he keeps going, he’s going to become the biggest star.
NEVINS: It’s sort of like what Li Na did for tennis in China.
LACHOWSKI: It really gives purpose for you to cheer for somebody. I like all the top guys, but right now, I can’t lie—João is the guy that I want to watch.
NEVINS: He’ll be top 20 by the end of the year.
LACHOWSKI: Yeah, hopefully.
NEVINS: Okay, I’m going to ask you a question that I asked Ben Shelton when I interviewed him at the US Open. I asked him to build me, stroke by stroke, his ideal tennis player.
LACHOWSKI: Okay. Forehand: João Fonseca. It’s a fucking missile.
NEVINS: Huge.
LACHOWSKI: Backhand, let’s put a little finesse. I’ll give it to Roger. Footwork, Rafa or Carlos. They’re both explosive. Serve, maybe Ben. Last year at the ATP finals, I tried to return some of the pro’s serves and I was able to get everybody’s but [Taylor] Fritz and Sasha [Zverev]. Sasha actually almost took my head off. So I would give serve to Sasha just because of that.
NEVINS: Makes sense.
LACHOWSKI: Mental? That would be Nadal..
NEVINS: What about volleys?
LACHOWSKI: Roger’s got a great volley.
NEVINS: And my last question: who’s your pick to win the Miami Open?
LACHOWSKI: [Laughs] I’m not going to say João. I’ll give it to Sasha.
NEVINS: All right. This was fun. See you on the court, Chico.
LACHOWSKI: Thanks, man.
Content shared from www.interviewmagazine.com.