Pegula’s private "diva" comment leaked—WTA slammed by Serena’s coach

A hot mic caught Jessica Pegula calling Mirra Andreeva a 'diva' during a livestream of her practice session, forcing the WTA to issue an apology for failing to inform players the microphones were active.

The incident occurred Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, California.

Pegula, ranked No. 5 in the world, was speaking with her coach, Mark Knowles, after a joint practice session with Andreeva.

"She's always been very nice to me, but I've lost a little bit of respect for her because I'm just like, this girl -- I mean, she's a nice girl, but she's a diva," the 32-year-old American said of the 19-year-old Russian.

Pegula added that Andreeva "needs to be humbled" and "put in her place."

The comments followed a practice session in which Andreeva reportedly won four consecutive games against Pegula.

According to the recording, Andreeva had become frustrated during that stretch.

"If I was a coach and my girl, you just played four great games, and you're up four-zero, and you're mad at me, hitting balls at me, I would be like, first of all, [that's] disrespectful to the other person," Pegula says in the video.

"You're four-zero, shut the f--- ... " she continued to her coach.

Pegula also referenced Conchita Martinez, who coaches Andreeva.

"Conchita, like pokes her and like eggs on her behavior," Pegula said.

She then mentioned Coco Gauff, who she will face in the Finals on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Pegula said if Andreeva had Coco Gauff's "mentality," then she would "be better than Coco."

The WTA issued a statement to Front Office Sports in response to the controversy.

"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," the tour said.

"We sincerely apologize for failing to meet our responsibility to ensure players and coaches were properly informed."

A tour source told Front Office Sports that the microphones are intended to capture ambient noise during practice, not private conversations between players and coaches.

The livestreams reportedly will continue without audio during practices for the WTA Finals, the season-ending event that begins on Sunday and features the tour's top eight players.

The WTA subsequently removed all practice-session livestreams from its YouTube channel.

However, clips of the conversation had already circulated widely on social media, and more clips kept surfacing even after the tour deleted its videos.

This put Pegula at the center of an unexpected controversy just days before the season-ending championship.

Serena Williams' coach publicly slammed the WTA for the leak.

"How is this getting leaked?" he asked, criticizing the organization for failing to protect player privacy.

Representatives for Pegula and Andreeva did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Front Office Sports.

The WTA Finals bring together the top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams on the tour.

Players compete for a share of the prize money and the year-end No. 1 ranking.

The incident has raised questions about player privacy during practice sessions.

Practice sessions are typically considered private moments where players can speak freely with their coaches.

The WTA's admission that it failed to inform players about the active microphones has been seen as a significant oversight.

Some observers have noted that the tour's apology, while accepting responsibility, came only after the controversy erupted.

The timing of the incident, just days before the Finals, has added to the tension surrounding the event.

Pegula and Andreeva are both scheduled to compete in the tournament.

Andreeva, ranked No. 3, has had a breakout season and is considered one of the rising stars in women's tennis.

Pegula, a veteran of the tour, has consistently ranked among the top players in recent years.

The two players had practiced together earlier in the week, which is a common arrangement among top players preparing for a tournament.

The practice session that led to the hot mic incident was a joint session between Pegula and Andreeva.

Joint practice sessions allow players to simulate match conditions before facing each other or other opponents.

The WTA has not announced any further changes to its practice session policies beyond removing audio from the livestreams.

The tour's statement did not address whether any disciplinary action would be taken against anyone involved.

Pegula's comments, while critical, were made in what she believed to be a private conversation.