Moyuka Uchijima is enjoying a season filled with significant achievements. Her recent performance at the Mutua Madrid Open is particularly noteworthy. She secured a major upset by defeating the 3rd seed, Jessica Pegula, marking her first career victory against a player ranked in the Top 25. In the previous round, Uchijima had already triumphed over the 26th seed, Ons Jabeur.
A potential win in her next match could propel Uchijima into the Top 50 of the PIF WTA Rankings for the first time. Here are five essential facts about the 23-year-old talent from Japan.
1. She found her love for tennis after trying other sports
Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Uchijima relocated to Tokyo, Japan, around the age of seven or eight. Conveniently located near her elementary school was her father Kazuto`s office at the Bristol Company, which featured tennis courts.
Uchijima recounts trying tennis with her sister after participating in other sports: “At that time I was doing swimming and basketball, but I wanted to try something else. So I started tennis with my sister. Swimming was tough. Every day you’re doing the same thing and basketball was mostly running every day and I didn’t like that. I really enjoyed hitting balls.”
2. She came to clay late
Although Uchijima trains in Guangzhou, China, alongside players like Zheng Saisai, she initially had limited experience playing on clay courts. Having grown up playing on hard and artificial grass courts typical in Japan, she found clay challenging at first.
However, she began to adapt her game on clay a couple of years ago, realizing that it actually suits her playing style the most. She feels her game “clicked” on clay last year and, despite limited practice this year, is improving with each match. She says, “I played on hard court and artificial grass court — it’s what we have in Japan. Clay was really challenging for me, but a couple years ago I started to find my game on clay. And actually it suits the way I play the most. Last year it clicked. This year, I didn’t really get to practice on clay but, match by match, I’m getting better. Yeah, I’m starting to like clay more and more.”
3. She’s gaining confidence one match at a time
Her recent success is significantly boosting her confidence and helping her set new personal benchmarks. The victory on Sunday marked the first occasion in her career, outside of Billie Jean King Cup ties, where she has won three consecutive matches at the WTA level.
Uchijima reflects on past challenges: “I had a lot of close matches — against Mirra Andreeva in the Australian Open, Coco Gauff in Indian Wells. Yeah, I feel I’m able to play against those top players but couldn’t get the win, just last little hill I couldn’t go over. This week, even first round, I was getting killed by Robin [Montgomery, losing the first set 6-1]. But I just try not to think too much. Try to do what you can do at that moment.”
4. She worked her way from ITF events to the Madrid main draw
Her journey to reaching the main draw in Madrid has been a gradual climb through different levels. Two years ago, she was eliminated in her first qualifying match here. Last year, her ranking wasn`t high enough even for the qualifying draw, so she competed in (and won) an ITF W100 tournament held at a different location in Madrid. This victory was part of an impressive 19-match winning streak that included securing three ITF titles and successfully qualifying for and reaching the second round of Roland Garros, which propelled her into the Top 100 rankings for the first time.
Uchijima expresses her feelings about being in the main draw this year: “Last year this time I was playing ITF and watching all these players on TV. And now, you are actually playing the same tournament. To come back here in main draw is really, really special and makes me happy. I still cannot believe it. I’m still in a dream.”
5. Japanese star Kei Nishikori was her idol growing up
Kei Nishikori, one of Japan`s most accomplished tennis players, a former World No. 4 and US Open finalist in 2014, served as her childhood idol.
Uchijima shared: “We actually went to the Olympics together last year. I was watching him on TV and actually like living the same life, in the same place. He played here many, many years and gave me some tips. I guess it’s working. He’s always my idol and I’m just really, really happy we are playing the same tournament. I hope I can keep going. I still cannot believe how I played today. Just hope to continue the solid game tomorrow or whenever I play. I don’t even know who I’m playing next.”
