At the age of 23, Moyuka Uchijima has delivered a breakthrough performance at the Mutua Madrid Open. Ranked 56th globally and entering the tournament with a season record of 13 wins and 12 losses, the rising Japanese star defeated World No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (5), on Tuesday. This victory secured her spot in her first-ever WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
Remarkably, before her appearance in Madrid, Uchijima had never recorded a win against a player ranked in the Top 25. In this tournament, she achieved her first two such victories back-to-back, first overcoming World No. 3 Jessica Pegula and subsequently defeating Alexandrova. Against Alexandrova, she broke serve five times and extended her winning streak to six consecutive sets.
Uchijima`s success in Madrid builds upon recent momentum. She also reached the quarterfinals the previous week at the tournament in Rouen, France. Prior to these two recent runs, she had only reached one WTA-level quarterfinal throughout her entire career.
Key Insights into Moyuka Uchijima`s Madrid Breakthrough
Let`s take a closer look at the numbers behind Uchijima`s impressive performance:
Statistical Highlights: Career and Madrid Performance
Career and Tournament History
- Best Madrid Result: Uchijima`s quarterfinal appearance matches the best result achieved by a Japanese player in Madrid, previously set by Naomi Osaka in 2019.
- 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`s achievement in Rome in 2003.
Wins Over Top-Ranked Opponents
- First Top 25 Win: Defeated World No. 3 Jessica Pegula during the Round of 32 match on Sunday.
- Second Top 25 Win: Defeated World No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Round of 16 match on Tuesday.
- Consecutive Top 25 Wins: This marks the first time in her career that she has achieved back-to-back victories against Top 25 ranked players.
2024 Season Performance and Momentum
- Season Record Before Madrid: 13 wins, 12 losses.
- Current Season Record: 17 wins, 12 losses.
- Consecutive Quarterfinals: Reached the quarterfinals in both Rouen and Madrid, a significant step after having only one career quarterfinal appearance previously (Monastir 2022).
- Tiebreak Success: Uchijima has won five tiebreaks this season, a statistic trailing only Clara Tauson (8 wins) and Emma Raducanu (6 wins).
Key Statistics from the Madrid Open Matches
- Break Points Saved: 19, which is the second-highest among all quarterfinalists, behind only Belinda Bencic (25).
- Break Points Converted: 17, also the second-highest among quarterfinalists, following Peyton Stearns (19).
- Total Time On Court: 6 hours and 26 minutes, making her the quarterfinalist who has spent the most time competing on court in the tournament so far.
