WTA privacy concerns resurface after Jessica Pegula hot-mic incident involving Mirra Andreeva

Privacy concerns for WTA players at tournaments have resurfaced after a hot mic picked up a private conversation between Jessica Pegula and her coach, Mark Knowles, in which the American world No 5 talked about French Open champion Mirra Andreeva.

The conversation took place after a practice session between Pegula and Andreeva ahead of the WTA Finals at Indian Wells, which the tournament’s official channels were livestreaming.

In a statement sent to The National on Thursday, the WTA said it “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.

“We sincerely apologise for failing to meet our responsibility to ensure players and coaches were properly informed.”

In the livestream, Pegula was heard commenting on Andreeva’s attitude and mentality, calling the Russian teenager “a diva”.

“I think she’s a nice girl; she’s just a diva. She needs to be humbled,” said Pegula, who also mentioned Andreeva’s coach, Conchita Martinez.

“Conchita has always been nice to me, but I’ve lost a little respect for her.”

Pegula added that Andreeva was mad and threw balls at Martinez during practice despite playing four great games against the American.

“Conchita, like, pokes her, and eggs on her behaviour,” she added.

Pegula also said that if Andreeva had a different mentality, she would be better than two-time major champion Coco Gauff.

A representative for Pegula told The Athletic she “had absolutely no idea that her conversation with Mark was being livestreamed and certainly never expected a private discussion during practice to be made public,” adding that she had reached out directly to those involved to apologise.

The National understands that the microphones were intended to capture ambient sounds, not player or coach conversations. The fact that it happened was a mistake due to the tour’s failure to properly communicate with the players.

The tournament plans to continue livestreaming practices but will do so without audio.

This is not the first time this year that privacy issues have arisen at a tennis tournament.

Earlier this season at the Australian Open, Gauff was upset that behind-the-scenes TV cameras broadcast footage of her breaking her racquet seven times, in what she thought was a private area, following a heavy defeat to Elina Svitolina.

“I feel like certain moments – the same thing happened to Aryna [Sabalenka] after I played her in the final of US Open – I feel like they don't need to broadcast,” Gauff later said in her press conference.

Many players empathised with Gauff’s situation in Melbourne, including six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, who said: “The question is, are we tennis players, or are we, like, animals in the zoo where they are observed even when they poop, you know?”

Pegula, an active member of the WTA Player Council for many years, commented on the presence of behind-the-scenes cameras everywhere, saying: “This year it feels even worse. It's in every single hallway. I saw online people were zooming in on players' phones and stuff like that. That's so unnecessary. I just think it's really an invasion of privacy. You just feel like you're under a microscope constantly.”

After the Australian Open incident, the WTA stated on behalf of its chair Valerie Camillo in support of the players’ right to privacy at tournaments.

“Recent concerns raised by WTA players at the Australian Open about cameras in off-court player areas are completely valid,” said Camillo.

“This is a very human and fair request - athletes need spaces where they can recover and not feel constantly under scrutiny.

“Providing that space is part of our responsibility as a sport. The WTA is committed to listening to its players and acting on concerns like this.”

Unlike the Australian Open, which is run by Tennis Australia, the WTA Finals is the tour’s flagship event and is run by the WTA itself, which makes the hot-mic incident even more unfortunate, given the tour’s responsibility to safeguard its own players.

The Finals were relocated this year from Riyadh to Indian Wells and will officially begin on Sunday.