A private chat that was not private
Jessica Pegula thought she was talking to her coach. She was talking to the internet. During a practice session at Indian Wells on Wednesday, ahead of the WTA Finals, microphones on the court picked up Pegula telling Mark Knowles that Mirra Andreeva is “a diva” who “needs to be humbled.”
The session was live streamed on the WTA’s YouTube channel. Pegula also criticised Andreeva’s coach, Conchita Martinez, saying she “eggs on her behaviour,” and that she had “lost a little respect” for her. Her reasoning was that if Andreeva were mentally more like Coco Gauff, she would be a better player, with a serve and movement just as good.
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The WTA takes the blame
On Thursday the tour issued a statement taking “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.” It said the mics were meant to capture the ambient sounds of tennis, not conversations, and apologised. Practice streams from this year’s event have been taken down. Streaming will continue, without audio.
Pegula did not only criticise. She called Andreeva, 19 and the reigning French Open champion, “wonderful” and “smart” in the same conversation. Martinez has coached Andreeva since 2024.
The two will not meet in the group stage. Pegula is in a group with Gauff, world No. 1 Elena Rybakina and Linda Noskova. Andreeva has been drawn with Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina and Karolina Muchova. The tournament runs from November 8 to 15 at Indian Wells before moving to Charlotte in 2027.
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