ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2023

Juan Pablo Varillas

Press Conference

J.P. VARILLAS/H. Hurkacz

3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Juan Pablo. Can you tell us your feelings after this wonderful match?

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: It's been a great match I think from the beginning until the end. It was really tough because he was playing so hard, serving so big, but I managed to make him play almost all the time.

I think it was mentally tough for him because he wasn't winning so many points with his serve. Also, he played two 5-set matches before, so I knew that maybe playing long points, doing more clay match would maybe physically he wouldn't be able to perform the way he does always.

So at the end I think I played a really, really good fifth set, and two opportunities that I had to break, I took them.

THE MODERATOR: Any questions in English?

Q. I imagine this will be very big news back home in Peru.

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: Yeah.

Q. Can you have any idea what that must be like back home?

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: I think it's a great, great thing for my country. There's not so many pro tennis players. Being a professional tennis player is not an option maybe at home.

So I think to be an example for the kids that we can do this type of thing, we can play these type of events. If we work, if we keep disciplined, I think with consistency and believing in ourselves, doing it professionally I think for sure it's possible.

I think this will be like a good push for the kids to keep going for their dream of being maybe a pro tennis player and for also the parents that don't pressure maybe the kids to go to college or something like this.

Q. You mentioned it's obviously not a big sport in Peru. How did you get into tennis?

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: It was like -- my parents brought me to these summer camps. You do, like, every sport, and there was tennis, and I loved it, tennis and football.

So I stayed with these two sports until I was, like, 15, 16. Then I was better on tennis, so I keep working on tennis, and here I am.

Q. Do you have much to do or do you know Louis Horna very well?

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: He is really close to me. He is also Davis Cup captain, and he has a business that manages athletes, and I'm one of them, so I'm really close to him, and I have a really good relationship.

Q. It's 20 years since he beat Federer here. Did you know that?

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: Yeah, I know. I know that it was in first round; right?

Q. Yes. Now I know why you're running like crazy when you said that you were a football player also until 15, but I would like to ask you, was running and playing so long as possible your plan because we spoke already with Hubert, and he told us that after the first set, after the start of the game, he had a problem with his -- a small injury, and he was moving not so well as he was thinking. Was your plan to play as long as possible?

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: To be honest, I wanted to win in three sets. But, yes, when I knew that he was with maybe some physical issues because he played, like, five hours with -- he put on the first match also. I don't know how many hours he played. I was also -- I was not 100% when I started too because I also played two five-set matches before.

Maybe doing a long match would benefit me more than him. So at the end I think in the fifth set when I had the opportunities, I was maybe more capable of running more and defending more than him.

Q. Have you ever played the kind of tournament that after three rounds, it was altogether I think 12 hours or 11 hours on court?

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: No, this was my first win at Roland Garros. This is a new experience.