Juan Pablo Varillas, a five-set tennis player: epic comeback at Roland Garros to make history in the open era of tennis

That is why the emotional hug with his father, with his mother. That is why he did not hesitate to take the Peruvian flag from the Peruvian fans in the stands to have it with him after his great comeback and victory over Roberto Bautista Agut in five sets.

And yes, again Juan Pablo Varillas came back to win in five sets by 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 and 6-1 against Bautista Agut, current number 24 in the ATP ranking. He had already come back from two sets against Chinese Shang in the first round and he did it again this time against a top tennis player.

“I have no words, one works to be in these moments, dreams for this and that it comes true is something else,” he told ESPN. And he has managed to bring it to life before the eyes of the world.

The figure is quite a record, since the four matches that Juan Pablo Varillas has played in the Grand Slam have been five sets. At Roland Garros 2022 he did it against Auger-Aliassime, in Australia 2023 against Alex Zverev and now in Paris he has had his two duels in the maximum number of sets.

And tennis specialist Luis Alfredo Álvarez of ESPN says he is the first player to have his first four Grand Slam matches to five sets since tennis was played in the open era, since 1968.

Against top tennis players

In addition, it is the third victory that Juan Pablo Varillas has achieved against a Top 30 tennis player in nine games played. His first victory was just against Bautista Agut in Gstaad last year when the Spaniard was ranked 19 ATP, and this year when he surprised the Italian Lorenzo Musetti, 20 ATP at the Argentina Open.

It is no longer surprising what Rods has been doing. The tennis player Pablo Arraya told us, who highlighted the courage that the Peruvian has for this type of match and above all the good physical condition that he has. And this is how his physical trainer Matías Rizzo predicted it. “It’s going to be a great year for Varillas, it’s the season he’s prepared the best for,” he assured us after Juan Pablo’s participation in the Australian Open.

The Peruvian will be active again. This Thursday he makes his debut in the doubles draw, which he entered as an alternate. He will play alongside the Brazilian Thiago Monteiro against the Finns Niklas-Salminen and Russuvuori in the fourth game on pitch 5.

Meanwhile, on Friday or Saturday he will play the third round of the main draw against the winner of the duel between Griskspoor and Hurkacz. Since Luis Horna at the 2006 Australian Open, a Peruvian has not played in the third round of a Grand Slam, Varillas is breaking streaks.

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