Peruvian top-ranked player Juan Pablo Varillas made his debut on Sunday for the first time in his career in a Grand Slam main draw, where despite a notable performance, he was eliminated from Roland Garros 2022 after losing 2-3 (2-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3) against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Despite being knocked out in the singles first round of the men's draw at Roland Garros, Juan Pablo Varillas, currently ranked 122 in the ATP rankings, remained optimistic and shared his impressions of his first participation in a Grand Slam, one of the most important competitions in the tennis world.
"Regardless of the result, it has been a wonderful debut and this moment will never be forgotten, especially since it has been a way to demonstrate that I have the level to continue participating in this type of tournaments. In addition, to improve in the rankings and keep climbing," he said in 'Tenis al Máximo'.
In the same line, the 26-year-old athlete, who marked the return of a Peruvian singles player to a Grand Slam after 14 years, referred to his opponent, world number 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime: "It has been a very good experience, and I was fortunate to play against a top 10 player, something that many other players who have been performing for much longer than me have not had the chance to do."
Juan Pablo Varillas is currently a reference in Peruvian tennis
Juan Pablo Varillas, with his presence in one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments, once again put Peru in the spotlight, since the last participation of 'Lucho' Horna, who played in the first round of Wimbledon 2008. For this reason, he feels like a reference and is very excited to see this sport become more popular in the country.
"Bringing Peruvian tennis back to a Grand Slam after 14 years fills me with excitement, and currently, I feel like a reference, not only as a player but as a person and professional. Furthermore, I hope that tennis expands much more in Peru, as it has been neglected for a long time," he said.