managed to qualify for the fourth round of Roland Garros after having defeated Polish counterpart Hubert Hurkacz, seed number 13; 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 4-6, and 6-2.
Next, the 27-year-old athlete will face the world's number 3, Serbian Novak Djokovic.
Thus, he has become the first Peruvian tennis player among the top 16 in the clay-court Grand Slam since compatriot Jaime Yzaga back in 1994, and displayed his best participation in a Grand Slam event.
After having come back from two sets down in his first two matches,
Juan Pablo Varillas once again showed great determination against a heavier rival, who was looking for his second consecutive round of 16 in Paris.
In an atmosphere of fire heated by loud Peruvian fans who cheered for their new national hero,
Varillas achieved the most important victory so far in his career.
Ranked 94th,
Varillas saw his third victory against a top-20 tennis player, proving that he is living a sweet moment since his landing in the French capital.
Until now, only Yzaga had played in the round of 16 at a Grand Slam. He did so four times: in 1985 (United States), in 1991 (Australia), in 1994 (Paris), and again in the United States. In Australia, he passed that round and three years later he did the same in the U.S.
For
Varillas, this was his second foray into the final draw in Paris, where he had entered for the first time last year after seven attempts to access through the previous phase.
His performance was brief back then, since after winning the first two sets against Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime, he ended up losing in the fifth.