The final game of the first set between Alexandra Eala and Tatiana Prozorova at the Singapore Open was a long one. The game had eight deuces, with the Russian having multiple break points, while the Filipino player had multiple set points. With the match being at a critical stage, a bizarre scene greeted the audience as Prozorova went down on the ground and did a few pushups. Doing it during a tense moment in the match might have looked odd, but the Russian offered a very plausible explanation for her actions afterward.

“It’s nothing special, just… some spasm on my right chest and I just need to have some blood here to feel my forehand better,” said Prozorova during her press conference. “That’s all. Nothing magical.”

The trick did not work in that particular game, as Prozorova lost the set after Eala converted her seventh set point. However, the pushups did work later in the match, as the Russian came back from 2-4 down in the second set to win in three. Her forehand was the differentiator, as she was able to hit clean winners of that wing while returning the Eala serve, hitting over a total of fifty winners in the match.

It’s not surprising that Prozorova suffered from spasms, given that the match was filled with long baseline rallies and went over three hours. The Russian had already played her first round match, which went nine minutes shy of the three-hour mark, and therefore, it is understandable that she felt the spasms in the final game of the first set, which had gone over an hour.

Spasms are not uncommon in tennis, given the sport’s physical nature right now. One of the most notable cases of spasms in recent times was that of Paula Badosa, who suffered from the same during her match against Diana Shnaider at the 2024 Thailand Open. Being injured in the back meant that Badosa was in no position to go for push-ups like Prozorova, and the Spaniard was forced to withdraw from her match.

While doing push-ups during a live match is not that common, there have been other WTA players known for their on-court quirks. Someone like Maria Sharapova had her own elaborate routine after every rally, where the former World No.1 went back to the wall with her back turned to her opponent, and got ready for the next point after she had adjusted her strings and tucked her hair. Even someone like Iga Swiatek likes to keep her body warm in case of breaks in the match, with the Pole often jumping on her toes and shadow practicing her shots during the match.

Though unorthodox, the pushups did wonders for Prozorova, who got her first Top-20 win, with the win against Eala being only the fourth Tour-level win for the Russian.

Tatiana Prozorova Only Had Three Wins on the WTA Tour Before Facing Alexandra Eala

Before the match against Eala, Prozorova had only three wins on the WTA Tour, one of which came against Sofia Kostoulas in the first round of the Singapore Open. Her two other wins were against Nigina Abduraimova and Solana Sierra at the 2023 Palermo Open and at the 2026 Memphis Classic, respectively.

Most of Prozorova’s success has come on the ITF level, where she has won eight titles from fourteen finals, including one in Slovenia in March this year. Her two wins in Singapore have already seen her live ranking rise from 180 to 140, matching her career-best ranking from last year, and should she win her quarterfinal match, she will rise further.

Prozorova will face Wang Xinyu in her first Tour-level quarterfinal. The Chinese player will have some crowd support as the Asian player, and she has been in good form, beating the likes of Donna Vekic and Joanna Garland in her first two rounds. On the other hand, Prozorova will need more push-ups, as the Russian has already spent almost six hours on the court.

Prozorova is also in the doubles draw in Singapore, partnering her compatriot Sofya Lansere, and the Russian duo is set to face Miyu Kato and Ellen Perez in the quarterfinals on the same day. Playing in both draws in hot, humid conditions will require Prozorova to be at her peak fitness if she is to go further.