Lima Lights Up Challenger Tour, ‘Arms Wide Open’ For Players

Nestled amongst high-rise buildings and a short walk from the Pacific coast lies the host venue of the Lima-2 Challenger: Club Terrazas de Miraflores.

You could go to the beach, try surfing, visit some of Lima’s famous parks such as ‘Paruqe del Amor’, taste the Peruvian cuisine, and enjoy the ATP Challenger Tour tournament all without needing public transportation.

While that may seem like a dream getaway for many, tournament director Luis Horna, former World No. 33, strives to bring a home feeling to the competitors at the Lima-2 Challenger.

“It doesn’t matter where the players come from, we always meet them with our arms wide open and try to give them a good treatment,” Horna said. “That’s a key for us. As I used to be a player, I know the way I used to feel at a tournament.

“Miraflores is a well located district here in Lima. All the restaurants, shopping malls are here. There’s always a good atmosphere around the tournament. Not just the local players but also for the guys that are coming from other countries.”

The Lima Challenger, celebrating its 11th edition, is the fifth longest running active South American Challenger tournament, only behind Montevideo (20), Guayaquil (17), Santiago (15), and Campinas (12).

After a 14 year drought of no Peruvians in the Top 100, home hero Juan Pablo Varillas climbed to a career-high No. 97 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in August, becoming the fifth Peruvian player to crack the Top 100. While Varillas is carrying the torch for tennis in Peru, the four-time Challenger champion’s heart is set on doing it with humility.

“When I started going up in the rankings, started improving, the kids needed a tennis player and a figure to follow,” Varillas said. “I love the role I play. There is a bit of pressure because I want to be a good example. It’s a really nice motivation for me to be a really good role model. Not only as a tennis player but also as a person.”

Varillas has been playing his home tournament since 2013 and is a two-time semi-finalist in Lima. The 27-year-old has a special relationship with Horna, who is also Peru’s Davis Cup captain.

Luis ‘Lucho’ Horna (left) and Juan Pablo Varillas at the 2022 Lima-2 Challenger. Credit: Grant Thompson

“My first professional match that I saw when I was young was ‘Lucho’ [Luis Horna] playing Davis Cup,” Varillas said. “He has been a great motivator for us and a role model to follow. Now that I work with him and his management agency, he is my friend also. It’s a really nice relationship we have.

“Lima was my first Challenger that I played when I was in juniors. It’s a great feeling to be at home and it’s been a nice journey playing nine years in a row at this event. At the beginning it was tough for me, the first six years I didn’t win a match. Since 2019, it’s been good. I love the energy of the crowd. Sometimes there is extra tension because there are not many tournaments here in Peru. It’s a bit different but I like it.”

Horna, who claimed two Tour-level titles (Acapulco 2006 and Vina del Mar 2007), said he has seen tennis become more popular since the pandemic and now, almost every tennis academy in Lima is full of students eager to learn. Having Varillas make history also played a role in growing the game In Peru.

“Juan Pablo is a great, hard-working, humble guy,” Horna said. “He has a great family around him, it’s a pleasure to work with him not only in tennis but also as a manager. He’s a player that still has a lot to give to the ATP. I hope in the next couple years, he can explode and make the Top 50, I think he has the chance.

“The image of Juan Pablo is getting bigger and bigger. We also have two juniors that are going very high on the Challenger Tour: Ignacio Buse and Gonzalo Bueno. They are making a good step, everything is going in a good direction.”

Since Horna retired from pro tennis in 2009, he has remained in the sport in a variety of ways. Between being Peru’s Davis Cup captain, running his academy (Academia Lucho), his work at IGMA sports (sports management agency), and directing the Challenger event, Horna stays busy with his life post professional tennis.

Club Terrazas de Miraflores, host site of the 2022 Lima-2 Challenger. Credit: Adam Roberts

“I have always been involved in the sport somehow,” Horna said. “I love to do it, tennis has given me everything in my life, my family, friends. It’s a way to keep in touch with the players and help them. I’m always pleased to do that.”

While ‘Lucho’ is constantly seen giving back to the sport, he acknowledges that the ATP Challenger Tour is vital to professional tennis. The Challenger 80 events (August and October) in Peru’s capital city are a great example of players making their pathway to the highest level.

“Everything starts on the Challenger Tour,” Horna said. “We had [Marco] Cecchinato here three years ago and the next year he made the semi-finals at Roland Garros. We had [Diego] Schwartzman playing here, the first Challenger quarter-final of his career (2012), then he became a Top 10 player.

“Many of the players make their first steps on the Challenger Tour and very quickly they adapt and start to play Tour events. There’s no ATP without the Challenger Tour.”

Located on the Pacific coast and rich in South American culture, Lima has been hosting a great Challenger Tour event for over a decade. Peru’s capital city is the fourth largest city in South America, behind São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro. When Horna and Varillas were asked what to eat in Lima, they laughed and answered the same: ceviche and japanese food.

Did You Know?
Five former Top 50 stars hailing from South America are running Challenger tournaments in their home countries: Horna (Lima), Andres Gomez (Guayaquil & Salinas, Ecuador), Diego Perez (Montevideo, Uruguay), Santiago Giraldo (Pereira, Colombia), and Nicolas Lapentii (Ambato, Ecuador).