Tracing Uchijima’s surge: A snapshot of her journey to Madrid’s final eight

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At 23 years old, Moyuka Uchijima has delivered the breakout performance of the Mutua Madrid Open. Ranked No. 56 and entering the tournament with a 13-12 season record, the Japanese rising star defeated No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Tuesday to reach her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal.

Uchijima, who had never defeated a Top 25 opponent before Madrid, earned her first two in back-to-back matches -- first over World No. 3 Jessica Pegula and now over Alexandrova. She broke Alexandrova five times in the match and has won six straight sets.

Uchijima's success in Madrid builds on recent momentum: She also reached the quarterfinals last week in Rouen, France. Before these runs, she had made only one WTA-level quarterfinal in her career.

Five things to know about Moyuka Uchijima, Madrid’s latest breakout star

Here's a closer look at the numbers behind Uchijima's breakthrough:

By the Numbers: A glance at Uchijima’s career and Madrid run

Career and tour history

Best Madrid result by a Japanese player: Uchijima equals Naomi Osaka's 2019 run by reaching the quarterfinals.
Chasing history: She could become only the second Japanese player to reach a Tier I / WTA 1000 semifinal on clay since 1990, following Ai Sugiyama (Rome 2003).

Wins over top players

First Top 25 win: Defeated No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the Round of 32 on Sunday.
Second Top 25 win: Defeated No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Round of 16 on Tuesday.
Consecutive Top 25 wins: Achieved for the first time in her career.

2025 season and momentum

Pre-Madrid season record: 13-12
Current record: 17-12
Back-to-back quarterfinals: Final eight appearances in Rouen and Madrid, after only one career quarterfinal previously (Monastir 2022).
Tiebreak success: Uchijima has won five tiebreaks this season -- trailing only Clara Tauson (8) and Emma Raducanu (6).