ROLAND GARROS

June 4, 2023

Juan Pablo Varillas

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/J.P. Varillas

6-3, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Juan Pablo, congratulations for your tournament. Can you tell us what you feel after this great experience?

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: I think it's been a great maybe ten days here in Paris. I felt almost every day like I wanted to play. I played really intense, long games, and I have been on the level that I wanted to be.

Today was tough. Tough conditions, too windy. I wasn't feeling that fresh as the other days. And playing against Novak it's like even if I'm 100% in or 100% physically, I might also lose like this. I don't know.

But it's been a great week. It's been a wonderful run here for me.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. I'm going to ask you what was the main force Novak used against you? So what was the main weapon that he got in this match against you?

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: Maybe he was too solid from the baseline, playing really close to the lines, serving really high percentage of first serves. I couldn't do that.

Also, I couldn't defend the way I was defending the other days. He was very precise when he had the opportunities to break.

So I think I had maybe a chance to be in the game in the first set, but then it was all him.

Q. What surprised you the most about the experience of being on the court with him? This was the first time?

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: Yes.

Q. What did you expect, and were there things that surprised you, or was this about what you expected?

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: No, his ability to be, like, always in the ball, you know, in the ball with the legs and the defense. He is even aggressive to defend.

It's like with one ball you are being aggressive, aggressive, and then with one ball he turns, like, the coin the other way and then you are defending.

It's also his ability to play so deep, to return so good also, to change the rhythms playing really high balls and then going forward. It's like a really complete player.

Q. Does this experience help you learn about what you need to do in order to get where you would like to be in your career?

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: It showed me the path maybe. I think over the years I have tried to be more regular during the season. I've had really good runs, really good tours, and then maybe really bad ones.

Through the years I've tried to be a regular player mentally more than anything, and trying to approach these type of matches the way I was able to do, it I think shows me what I'm capable of and shows me the path I have to go this way.

This is the way that I will be able to win more matches, win in the big tournaments, and stay here.

Q. (Off microphone.)

JUAN PABLO VARILLAS: Consistently.