“Overreach of Authority”- Tatiana Prozorova Publicly Accuses WTA After Being Forced Out of Singapore Semifinal

Friday was a day of two halves for Tatiana Prozorova at the Singapore Open. While the World No.180 started her day by winning her quarterfinal match against Wang Xinyu to reach her maiden semifinal, her doubles match later in the day ended her dream week. During her doubles match, the Russian was hit in the face by an opponent’s smash, prompting medical personnel to rule her out for the rest of the tournament. She then shared an emotional message, slamming the WTA’s existing rules, which have also affected her future schedule.

“Unfortunately, with this decision, the organizers have jeopardized my participation in the Beijing Masters 1000 starting on next Monday,” said Prozorova on her Instagram story. “The physio made it clear that I wouldn’t be allowed to play until six days had passed; it is completely absurd and an overreach of authority by the WTA staff member.”

The incident took place during the doubles match, in which Prozorova partnered with Sofya Lansere and played against Miyu Kato and Ellen Perez. At 5-2 in the second set, with Perez serving for victory, Kato went for a strong smash to win the point. Prozorova was quite near the net, which is a regular doubles position, and the ball hit her flush in the face, following which she fell on the ground. She was taken off the court for the mandatory concussion tests, where she failed the balancing tests.

Balancing exercises are key elements of the concussion protocol, which the WTA strictly adheres to. The other tests typically include neurological diagnosis through cognitive tests, checking the player’s memory recall by asking basic questions, and monitoring subsequent symptoms, including headaches and sensitivity to light or noise, among other things.

On the other hand, Prozorova did play a singles match earlier that day, which had gone ten minutes shy of the three-hour mark, making it a third day in a row that she had played such a long match at the tournament. During the concussion test, she could understandably have been tired. The Russian shared the episode with the WTA medical professional, during which she tried to convey her side of the story.

“The physio called to the court insisted on taking me off the court to run a specific test. Unfortunately I didn’t know I could refuse. The test wasn’t easy,” said Prozorova on her Instagram story. “Given that I’d spent over three hours on court each of the last three days, I was fatigued, and I struggled with some of the exercises — like standing on one leg with my eyes closed. To be honest, even when I’m fresh and well-rested, I find that difficult anyway. I explained this to the physio, too.”

However, in such situations, the WTA medical professional has the ultimate authority, and upon his evaluation, neither could Prozorova finish her doubles match nor, more importantly, was she allowed to continue in the singles event. The withdrawal was a setback for the tournament as well, as audiences are always keen to see an underdog story flourish, but in such a situation, the WTA’s authority superseded that of the tournament, something which Prozorova alluded to in her Instagram message.

“Just a quick clarification: the organizers fought for my right to continue competing in the tournament, but ultimately, the decision was made by the WTA,” said Prozorova on her Instagram story.

Prozorova will now have to go through a mandatory six-day rest period, as per WTA rules, which are designed to protect players from the delayed effects of concussion. However, for the Russian player, this robs her of the opportunity to win a title and even make further inroads on the WTA Rankings.

Tatiana Prozorova Missed Her Chance of Going Further Up the Rankings

Having won her quarterfinal match against Wang Xinyu, Prozorova was already up to No.123 on the live WTA Rankings, improving her pre-tournament ranking by moving up 57 spots. Given that she was facing an unseeded opponent in Talia Gibson in the semifinal, Prozorova had a real shot at making it to the final, which would have seen her get close to the Top-100, which would have been ensured if she ended with the title.

The forced withdrawal also keeps her agonizingly out of the China Open, which is slated to begin on September 30, with Prozorova’s six-day mandatory rest period ending on October 1. Given her form, she could have earned a few more points, all of which would have enabled her to get a direct entry to the main draw of the next year’s Australian Open, with the Russian yet to make her Major debut.

Let alone Grand Slams, Prozorova only had two Tour-level victories before the Singapore Open. In each of her three matches at the tournament, she came back after dropping the first set, including a win over third-seeded Alexandra Eala in the second round. While she managed to counter the spasms she felt in that match, she could not find a way to move past the concussion test, which ended her dream run.

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