At the age of 23, Moyuka Uchijima is having a standout tournament at the Mutua Madrid Open. Ranked World No. 56 and entering the event with a 13-12 record for the season, the rising Japanese talent defeated World No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Tuesday to advance to her first ever WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
Before this tournament in Madrid, Uchijima had never beaten a player ranked inside the Top 25. Here, she has achieved this milestone in consecutive matches – first overcoming World No. 3 Jessica Pegula and then Alexandrova. In her match against Alexandrova, she broke serve five times and has now won six straight sets in the tournament.
Uchijima`s success in Madrid builds on recent positive results; she also reached the quarterfinals last week in Rouen, France. These back-to-back quarterfinal appearances are significant, as she had only reached one WTA-level quarterfinal previously in her career (in Monastir in 2022).
Here are some key facts and numbers highlighting Moyuka Uchijima`s remarkable run in Madrid:
By the Numbers: Uchijima`s Career and Madrid Performance
Career and Tournament History
- Equaling History: Uchijima`s quarterfinal appearance matches the best result by a Japanese player at the Madrid Open since Naomi Osaka`s run in 2019.
- Chasing a Milestone: She aims to become only the second Japanese player since 1990 to reach a Tier I / WTA 1000 semifinal on clay, following Ai Sugiyama (Rome 2003).
Wins Against Top Opponents
- First Top 25 Win: Defeated World No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the Round of 32 on Sunday.
- Second Top 25 Win: Defeated World No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Round of 16 on Tuesday.
- Consecutive Top 25 Victories: This marks the first time in her career she has achieved back-to-back wins against Top 25 players.
2024 Season Momentum
- Pre-Madrid Season Record: 13 wins, 12 losses.
- Current Record: 17 wins, 12 losses (including Madrid wins).
- Recent Quarterfinals: Achieved consecutive quarterfinal berths in Rouen and Madrid, contrasting with just one previous career quarterfinal (Monastir 2022).
- Tiebreak Prowess: Uchijima has won five tiebreaks this season, placing her among the top players for tiebreak wins, trailing only Clara Tauson (8) and Emma Raducanu (6).
Madrid Open Match Statistics
- Break Points Saved: 19 saves, second only to Belinda Bencic (25) among quarterfinalists.
- Break Points Converted: 17 conversions, second only to Peyton Stearns (19) among quarterfinalists.
- Time on Court: She has spent 6 hours and 26 minutes on court, the most of any player reaching the quarterfinals.
Rupert Caldwell