The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has accepted “full responsibility” for failing to notify players that microphones were active on practice courts. The admission follows the live-streaming of private comments made by world number five Jessica Pegula regarding fellow player Mirra Andreeva during a session at Indian Wells, California.
The Incident and WTA Response
The practice session was broadcast by the WTA ahead of the Tour Finals, which began on Sunday. During the session, Pegula was captured in a private conversation with her coach, Mark Knowles, describing Andreeva as “a diva.” She further remarked that the French Open champion “needs to be humbled” and suggested that Andreeva’s coach, Conchita Martinez, encourages the behavior.
In a statement, the WTA expressed regret for the oversight. “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 organization stated. “We sincerely apologise for failing to meet our responsibility to ensure players and coaches were properly informed.”
The organization confirmed that the microphones were intended only to record the sounds of rallies rather than private dialogue. While the YouTube streams of the Wednesday sessions have been removed, the footage had already circulated on social media. The WTA noted that future videos will not contain audio.
Player Reaction
Chris McCormack, Pegula’s agent, told BBC Sport that the player was “completely unaware” that her conversation could be heard by courtside microphones, “let alone live-streamed to the public.” He added that the situation was unfortunate for all parties involved and that Pegula had reached out personally to those affected.
Despite her critical comments, Pegula—who serves on the WTA players’ council—also spoke highly of Andreeva during the same conversation, describing the world number three as “wonderful,” “smart,” and someone who “moves like a cat.”
This is not the first time players have expressed concerns regarding surveillance. Earlier this year, during the Australian Open, Pegula described the presence of additional behind-the-scenes cameras as an “invasion of privacy,” stating that players often feel as though they are “under a microscope constantly.”
Additional Practice Court Incidents
The live-streamed practice sessions also captured an tense exchange between world number one Elena Rybakina and her coach, Stefano Vukov. During the session with Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, Rybakina was seen appearing to remonstrate with Vukov, telling him to stay and listen to her. Vukov previously faced a suspension in February 2025 following an independent investigation into his conduct toward Rybakina, though he rejoined her team in August.
The WTA Finals, which are being hosted at Indian Wells for the first time, are scheduled to continue until 15 November.
