The WTA has taken “full responsibility” and apologised after a private conversation in which world number five Jessica Pegula called Mirra Andreeva “a diva” who “needs to be humbled” was broadcast live on its YouTube channel, days before the WTA Finals begin in Indian Wells.
Microphones on the practice courts in California picked up Pegula talking to her coach, Mark Knowles, during Wednesday’s sessions. The tour has since removed the recordings from YouTube, but clips had already been widely shared on social media by the time it issued a statement on Thursday.
What was said on the practice court
According to BBC Sport’s account of the footage, Knowles said of the 19-year-old French Open champion: “She treats Conchita so bad.” The reference was to Conchita Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion who has worked with Andreeva since April 2024.
Pegula replied: “Conchita’s always been very nice to me, but I’ve lost a little respect for her because I’m like, this girl – I think she’s a nice girl – she’s just a diva. She needs to be humbled.” She went on to say that Martinez “pokes her and eggs on her behaviour”, while Knowles said: “She needs somebody to put her in her place.”
The conversation also contained praise. Pegula said world number three Andreeva “moves like a cat”, describing her as “wonderful” and “smart” with “the perfect serve”. She then drew a comparison with world number four Coco Gauff, who won the first of her two Grand Slam titles at 19 and is now 22: “If she had Coco’s mentality, she’d be better than her.”
Why the WTA accepted the blame
The governing body’s statement placed the failure squarely on its own operation. “The WTA takes full responsibility for failing to inform our players and their teams that microphones, in place to give fans a livestream of the players’ practice, were active on the courts at the WTA Finals,” it said. “We sincerely apologise for failing to meet our responsibility to ensure players and coaches were properly informed.”
The tour said the microphones were meant to capture the ambient sounds of tennis rather than conversations between players and coaches. Practice sessions will continue to be streamed, but without audio.
Pegula’s agent, Chris McCormack, told BBC Sport she had been “completely unaware” the conversation could be heard, “let alone live-streamed to the public”. McCormack added: “Naturally it’s been an unfortunate situation for everyone involved. Jess has since been in direct contact with those involved, which she felt was important to do personally rather than through the media.” Reuters, citing a representative’s comments to The Athletic, reported that she had contacted them to apologise.
No response from Andreeva or Martinez had been reported as of Friday.
Pegula was not the only player affected. The same streams appeared to show world number one Elena Rybakina arguing with her coach, Stefano Vukov, saying: “Stay here. I’m talking to you. Can you stand here?” That footage carries its own sensitivity: Vukov was suspended by the WTA in February 2025 and returned to Rybakina’s team that August.
What it means for Indian Wells and beyond
The WTA’s apology covers the failure to disclose the microphones, not the content of the remarks, and that leaves Pegula with an awkward position to manage. The 32-year-old sits on the WTA Players’ Council, the body through which players put their views to the tour, and she has now been heard questioning both a fellow top-five player and a former Wimbledon champion.
The draw offers some distance, at least at first. The two are in separate round-robin groups for the tournament, which starts on Sunday and runs until 15 November, and can only meet in the semi-finals or final:
- Pegula’s group: Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Linda Noskova
- Andreeva’s group: Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova
Both players are likely to face questions before the tournament starts. Andreeva arrives as a first-time major winner, having followed a run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year with the Roland Garros title in June. Pegula, who has not won a Grand Slam, is chasing the biggest title of her career at the season-ending event, which moves to Charlotte from 2027.
There is a wider issue too. Pegula had already been critical of how much access players are expected to give up. After behind-the-scenes cameras drew complaints at the Australian Open, she called them an “invasion of privacy”, saying: “You just feel like you’re under a microscope constantly.”
Tours and tournaments want fans closer to the players, and practice-court streams are an easy way to deliver that. Removing the sound solves this specific problem, but the episode gives players a concrete example to cite the next time they are asked to accept more cameras and microphones in spaces they consider private.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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