“Of course I cook,” said Ignacio Buse somewhat incredulously when asked about his culinary skills, and little wonder given his uncle is world-renowned chef Gaston Acurio. He does, however, concede that his dishes are “not too elaborate”.

Acurio is revered as the godfather of Peruvian cuisine and his influence within the foodie world stretches far and wide – global in fact – while he is also a hugely captivating figure for his ambitious nephew.

“I have experienced so many things with my uncle,” Buse told itftennis.com. “I don’t see him too often, but I always have a great time when I do. He gives me a reference in my life because he has achieved so many things. I see him as an icon and an inspiration.

“Unfortunately, the last time he watched me on court, I played horribly, I was so bad and I lost easily. However, I know that he is really proud of me and knows that I am working so hard to achieve my goals.”

There have been far better times for Buse, who comes from Peru’s capital city Lima, since that painful defeat he references – a 6-2 6-1 reverse against Ecuador’s Juan Sebastian Zabala Vargas at J2 Lima in November 2019.

Indeed, the 18-year-old currently sits No. 12 in the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Rankings having claimed the biggest title of his career at J1 Lima in February.

In the final, he beat fellow countryman and friend Gonzalo Bueno on a court named after his grandfather, Eduardo "El Gringo" Buse – himself an eminent South American tennis player.

Bueno is also aged 18 and is ranked No. 6 in the boys’ standings after reaching the latter stages of numerous tournaments so far in 2022 without quite managing to lift silverware.

Last season, however, he topped the podium at Milan’s Trofeo Bonfiglio – a Grade A tournament and the highest classification of junior event on the ITF World Tennis Tour. Together, Bueno and Buse are an intrepid Peruvian double act.

Both players have progressed along the ITF player pathway and have experience of playing professional events – Bueno more extensively, while the next engagement in their diaries is the Roland Garros Junior Championships, which start on Sunday.

Although it is important to point out that Lucciana Perez Alarcon is another Peruvian making strides – she is No. 47 in the girls’ rankings, for some time Bueno and Buse have been flying the flag for Peruvian tennis at junior level. It is role they relish.

“We’re very motivated and excited to be an example to young people in Peru,” Bueno, while enjoying a cup of tea following practice at J1 Charleroi-Marcinelle, told itftennis.com. “We realise that we are doing something really big for our country.

“We are playing the best junior tournaments in the world and showing Peru that everything is possible if you work hard.”

Now living in Miami, Buse, who may well advance his tennis career via the US college route before turning professional – Georgia is a potential destination later this year, agrees wholeheartedly.

“My goal is to be a professional tennis player and achieve all the ambitions I have, but also to inspire people in my country,” said Buse, who grew up in Lima. “It is really motivating for Gonzalo and I to have that responsibility and to be a reference for the newer generation.”

Buse started playing tennis aged two with his father and prominent coach, Hans, and was also a member of the ITF Junior Tennis Initiative – the 14-and-under development programme for a National Association, supported by the ITF – in Peru.

He is now primed to make his debut on the Paris clay – his third Junior Grand Slam appearance overall – and retains high hopes for what he describes as his “dream tournament”.

Bueno, who was called up to Peru’s Davis Cup squad for their World Group I Play-off showdown with Bolivia in March, competed in the French capital last year and heads to Roland Garros with an altogether different mindset than he did 12 months ago.

“This year I am focusing in a different way,” added Bueno, who comes from the city of Trujillo on Peru’s northwest coast. “Last year was more to get experience of playing those sorts of tournaments, my first Junior Grand Slams, but I feel I am ready to win it.

“Everything is possible. I am here to play my best and see what I can do.”

Of significant inspiration to Bueno and Buse is Juan Pablo Varillas, who is ranked No. 122 in the ATP Rankings, while Luis Horna, who reached a career-high No. 33 in 2004, is travelling with the pair during Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Horna, the last Peruvian man to feature in the top 50, now works for Federacion Deportiva Peruana de Tenis as the director of its junior programme, spearheading the development of emerging talent. He believes a bright future could well beckon for his protégés.

“These two guys are very talented and we are optimistic about their futures,” Horna told itftennis.com.

“To be honest, we think they have a lot of talent and have what they need to become professional players. However, we also know how difficult it is. You can have all the tools to become a tennis pro and still not make it – you have to earn it.

“As a federation, we are trying to ensure they have everything they need in terms of logistics and be as supportive as we can in the years ahead.

“There is a lot of attention on them, but we also need to make sure they remain on the floor and ensure they know how hard they have to work in order to become a professional.”

Horna also points to the exploits of Varillas and the inspiration he is providing, not only to Bueno and Buse, but the next wave of emerging talent, and indeed the growing band of people playing tennis within Peru.

“Juan doing well and pushing towards the top 100 is huge for any junior player as they have someone to look up to and see as a role model, someone who they could be like if they work hard,” he added.

“In Peru, as with a lot of nations in South America, tennis is one of the most-played sports after Covid, so I think we are in a good position to think that tennis is going to grow for years to come. Having players who inspire is so important.”

Bueno and Buse are certainly candidates to fulfil that brief. Someone who knows them extremely well is Roberta Burzagli, the head coach of Grand Slam Player Development Programme/ITF Touring Teams, on which the duo have featured.  

Bueno was a member of the touring team to North America and the US Open in 2021, while this year he received an ITF-administered Grand Slam Player Grant, financed by the Grand Slam Player Development Programme.

Buse, meanwhile, was a key component of the touring team which travelled to Australia in January, and having seen both individuals at close quarters, Burzagli is perfectly placed to assess their respective strengths and attributes.

“Both of them have very good energy, are very focused and work hard, while they were very good teammates,” Burzagli told itftennis.com.

“Gonzalo is very consistent and is a big fighter, someone who is trying to reach every ball and who plays aggressively when he can. I think his big strength is his fight.

“Ignacio, meanwhile, is a very complete player technically. He is maybe one of the most complete players at his age, he just needs to be more mature and to get more experience.”

Burzagli is also able – and willing – to provide insight into the characters and off-court personas of the two players who competed alongside each other for Peru at the 2018 ITF World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostejov.

“Gonzalo is a bit shy when you first meet him but, after knowing him, you find out he is not shy at all,” added Burzagli.

“When he was a kid, he used to play golf and was a very good player. He used to hide himself at the club and go behind the tennis courts so others couldn’t see that he was playing golf and not tennis.

“Ignacio is the kind of guy that likes to talk a lot. He is very close to his family and he likes to dress well. He also likes to eat well. He understands a lot about food with his uncle being a famous chef.”

But what do they think of each other? “Gonzalo’s strength, for sure, is his mental strength, it is so good,” said Buse. “His forehand is very impressive and the things he does outside of the court are also very good.”

Bueno retorted: “Ignacio is very talented, and his backhand is really natural – he can do whatever he wants with that. He is also very humble.”

Bueno and Buse – remember the names.