ATP Tour

Buse on Hamburg triumph & love for Peru: First-Time Winner Spotlight

Ignacio Buse became the fourth first-time winner on the ATP Tour this season with his breakthrough victory on Saturday at the Bitpanda Hamburg Open.

The 22-year-old qualifier defeated Tommy Paul in the championship match to earn his maiden trophy. With the victory, Buse became the first qualifier to win a tour-level title since Valentin Vacherot’s surprise run to Rolex Shanghai Masters glory last October.

With Saturday's triumph, Buse also became the first Peruvian to win a tour-level crown since Luis Horna triumphed in Vina del Mar in 2007.

ATPTour.com caught up with Buse to discuss his title run, his journey and more…

What does it mean to you to win your first ATP Tour title?
For me, it means that everything has been put where it is deserved. I want to thank my family, my whole team at Tennis Empowerment Centre (TEC) - Carles Ferrer Salat, my sponsors, everyone who made this possible. But the ones that I have to thank the most are my parents. I want to dedicate this to them.

Was winning a title a dream for you from when you started to play tennis?
For sure, it was a dream. And the story is a little bit tricky, because I forgot to sign up for the main draw. I was going to enter directly. I'm going to tell this story for the rest of my life. I forgot to sign up, then made it through qualifiers, and I won my first ATP like that. Incredible.

How will you celebrate this victory?
Nice dinner tonight with all my friends and family. We're going to be about 15-20 people at the dinner. But soon after the match, I went to the ice bath for recovery because I have to play at Roland Garros on Monday. But I will enjoy being with them for now for some pleasure. And I also want to see my mom, who is at Roland Garros waiting for me.

You are just the fourth Peruvian man to win a title in the Open Era. How does it feel to be making tennis history for your country?
Incredible. People in Peru are very enthusiastic. They put so many expectations, and there's another thing to manage now. I will try to manage it the best I can. This victory is for Peru. I've been in Peru my whole life, and I try to expand the culture everywhere I go. And wherever I am, I go to Peruvian restaurants. I try to talk about Machu Picchu, Costa, Sierra and Selva (the coasts, mountains and jungles) and every city in Peru. I will try to be a Peruvian ambassador around the world so that Peru is really well seen.

How would you describe yourself as a player, and how would you describe yourself off the court?
Off court, I am a chill person. As a Latin, I think I am a really emotional person. I try to feel my emotions when I am sad, when I am happy. We as Latins are like that. But on court I am more chill. I usually behave well. But when I need to bring out an extra character to develop and to play my best game, I manage very well.

What do you consider to be your biggest passion outside of tennis and can you tell us a little bit about that interest?
One of the greatest projects I want to get involved in is to maximise tennis as a sport. I want to make tennis a sport that can be played in any area of Peru. This is a goal I want to achieve in my life. I remember Guga Kuerten made this happen in Brazil. So I want to do it in Peru.

Peru is famous for its food and your uncle Gastón Acurio is a world-famous chef… Do you like to cook, and what skills has your uncle passed onto you?
My uncle is my idol. He made a revolution in Peruvian gastronomy. So that is why now Peruvian restaurants have such good value. Being part of this family makes me prouder. He is waiting for me in Paris. He was not in Hamburg, but he is with my mom in Paris. They watched my match. Tomorrow we are going to have a good dinner in a Peruvian restaurant to celebrate.

You get to travel with this job a lot. If you could visit one place for a holiday away from tennis, where would it be and why?
I want to visit different parts of Peru. I went to Machu Picchu when I was very little. But I want to go again. I want to go to Lake Titicaca. There are such amazing places in Peru that I think I need to visit when I have some time off. I hope I can do it with my family.