Third seed Jessica Pegula suffered a shocking exit from the Madrid Open, falling 3-6, 2-6 to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in the third round.
After a first-round bye, Pegula had looked strong in her opener, dismantling Eva Lys 6-2, 6-2. Against Uchijima, she again started well, racing to a 3-1 lead. But what followed was a dramatic collapse: the American lost nine consecutive games, with Uchijima surging to a 6-3, 4-0 advantage.
Although Pegula briefly fought back to reclaim two games, she was broken again at a critical moment, sealing her unexpected defeat. It marked a major milestone for Uchijima, who secured her first-ever victory over a top-10 opponent after six previous unsuccessful attempts.
Speaking on court afterward, an emotional Uchijima admitted she was overwhelmed:
“I still can’t believe I won. Madrid is one of my favorite cities. I won an ITF here last year, and now, a year later, I’m playing in the third round? I’m not even sure what round it is!”
Uchijima will face either Daria Kasatkina or Ekaterina Alexandrova in the round of 16.
For Pegula, the loss is a disappointing setback in her clay-court season. After winning the Charleston Open earlier this spring, she has since managed just two wins across Stuttgart and Madrid.
