At 23 years old, Moyuka Uchijima has delivered a standout performance at the Mutua Madrid Open. Ranked No. 56 and entering the tournament with a 13-12 season record, the promising Japanese player defeated World No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Tuesday to reach her first-ever WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
Before Madrid, Uchijima had never beaten a Top 25 opponent. In this tournament, she achieved two consecutive victories against players in the Top 25: first against World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, and subsequently against Alexandrova. She managed to break Alexandrova`s serve five times during their match and has now won six consecutive sets.
Uchijima`s success in Madrid continues her recent strong momentum; she also reached the quarterfinals in Rouen, France, the previous week. Prior to these two recent runs, she had only reached one WTA-level quarterfinal in her entire career.
Here`s a closer look at the statistics behind Uchijima’s impressive breakthrough:
Moyuka Uchijima`s Career and Madrid Run: Key Statistics
Career Milestones
- Equaling a National Best: Uchijima matches Naomi Osaka’s 2019 achievement by reaching the quarterfinals in Madrid, the best result by a Japanese player at the event.
- Chasing History: She has the opportunity to become only the second Japanese player since 1990 to reach a Tier I / WTA 1000 semifinal on clay, following Ai Sugiyama (Rome 2003).
Victories Against Top Players
- 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 Wins: Achieved this significant milestone for the first time in her career.
2024 Season Performance and Momentum
- Season Record Before Madrid: 13-12
- Current Season Record: 17-12
- Back-to-Back Quarterfinals: Reached the last eight in Rouen and Madrid, a significant improvement having previously only reached one career quarterfinal (Monastir 2022).
- Tiebreak Success: Uchijima has won five tiebreaks this season, placing her third among players, trailing only Clara Tauson (8) and Emma Raducanu (6).
Madrid Open Match Statistics
- Break Points Saved: 19, ranking second among quarterfinalists (Belinda Bencic leads with 25).
- Break Points Converted: 17, ranking second among quarterfinalists (Peyton Stearns leads with 19).
- Time on Court: 6 hours and 26 minutes, the highest duration among all quarterfinalists.
