The German, ranked 13th in the ATP, praised the game of the Peruvian after struggling to defeat him in five sets.
Alexander Zverev, ranked 13th in world tennis and Olympic champion in Tokyo 2020, showered praise on the first Peruvian racket, Juan Pablo Varillas, whom he defeated in five sets (4-6, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 [7/3], 6-4) at the Australian Open.
"Juan has played one of the best matches of his life, but I think he is a great player and will continue to improve in his ranking," said the German player in a press conference at Melbourne Park.
"I hated that Juan Pablo was on the other side of the net (...) He can be a very dangerous opponent. I wish him the best because he has a lot of talent," added Alexander Zverev, who struggled to defeat the 103rd-ranked ATP player.
Varillas, who made his first appearance in the main draw of the Australian Open, pushed the German to the limit. The national tennis player managed to win two sets and had several match points in the fourth set.