The relentless quest for tennis’s next luminary brings us to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima. Though not yet a mainstream name, the 23-year-old has been steadily building momentum. Recall her Dubai encounter against 2022 Wimbledon victor Elena Rybakina, or her compelling Indian Wells journey where, after a noteworthy first-round triumph over US Open champion Emma Raducanu, she faced Coco Gauff in the subsequent round. These high-stakes clashes offered glimpses of her burgeoning talent, and now she’s bringing it to the Madrid Open!

On Sunday, Uchijima stunned the tennis world by toppling the World No. 3 Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-2 at the Mutua Madrid Open, notching her first-ever win over a Top 25 player. Just before that, she ousted No. 26 seed Ons Jabeur, who happened to beat Pegula in the 2022 Madrid final. Uchijima is on a roll, and her fearless run has everyone asking: Who is this rising star?

Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Uchijima moved to Tokyo when she was around seven or eight. Her tennis journey began almost by chance, as her father’s office at the Bristol Company had tennis courts right on her route to elementary school. “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,” she recalled.

Uchijima began 2024 ranked No. 171 and quickly surged to No. 56 in the live rankings, racking up 51 wins across all levels. She earned her first Grand Slam main draw victories at Roland-Garros-beating Irene Burillo Escorihuela before falling to Aryna Sabalenka-and at the US Open, where she defeated Patricia Maria Tig before losing to Jule Niemeier. Her standout spring, highlighted by two W100 ITF titles and her first Grand Slam match win, earned her the ITF World Tennis Tour Player of the Month award for May.

Despite training mostly on hard and artificial grass courts in Japan, Uchijima’s clay-court game has gone through the roof. “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,” she said.

The numbers back her up! By April 2025, she boasts a 77-33 record on clay, with nearly 70% of those matches ending in victory. And, this Madrid run is extra sweet: it’s the first time Uchijima has won three straight WTA-level matches in her career. She’s battled top names, coming close against Mirra Andreeva at the Australian Open and Gauff at Indian Wells.

“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,” she further added.

Now, Uchijima is finally over that hill, and the tennis world is watching her climb even higher. How does she feel about it?

Moyuka Uchijima is in disbelief after taking down the third seed at the Madrid Open

Jessica Pegula started strong in Madrid, cruising past Eva Lys 6-2, 6-2 after a first-round bye. The American, who was runner-up here in 2022 and won Charleston earlier this clay season, looked ready for a deep run. But next, she bumped into Uchijima, and although she jumped out to a 3-1 lead, everything changed later.

After the match, Uchijima was still in shock. “I just still can’t believe I won. Madrid is one of my favorite cities. I won an ITF last year in Madrid. One year later, I’m here in the 3rd round? I don’t know which round I’m in,” she said with a smile during her on-court interview. The 23-year-old Japanese player’s joy was contagious, and the crowd loved her spirited performance.

Pegula served up 4 aces and landed a higher percentage of her first serves at 66% compared to Uchijima’s 56%. She also won a slightly larger proportion of those points (62% vs. 56%). However, Uchijima demonstrated greater resilience on her second serve, winning an impressive 61% of those points compared to Pegula’s 35%.

Next up for Uchijima is either Daria Kasatkina or Ekaterina Alexandrova. She hasn’t faced either before. Can this young giant-killer keep the surprises coming? Share your thoughts in the comments below!