The WTA apologized and admitted it did not tell the players during practice sessions at the WTA Finals when their on-court conversations were broadcast.
Controversy erupted at Indian Wells after Jessica Pegula made insulting remarks about Mirra Andreeva and her coach Conchita Martinez on the WTA’s YouTube live stream.
The conversation between Pegula and his coach Mark Knowles was widely scrutinized, with the American criticizing the attitude of the Russians. Pegula can be clearly heard calling the 19-year-old a “diva” and saying she has lost respect for former Wimbledon champion Martinez for not calling out her behavior.
“If I was a coach and my daughter just played four great games and you’re up four-and-out and you’re mad at me, you hit me, first of all, [that’s] disrespect to another person,” Pegula said. “You’re up 4-0, shut up. But he just can’t.”
According to Pegula, if Andreeva had the same mentality, she would be better than her American counterpart Coco Gauff. During another training session, world number 1 Yelena Rybakina was seen openly arguing with her coach.
A spokesperson for the governing body said: “The WTA takes full responsibility for not informing our players and their teams that microphones were active on the courts at the WTA Finals to provide fans with live coverage of the players’ practice.
“We sincerely apologize for failing to fulfill our responsibility to ensure players and coaches are properly informed.”
The tour admitted that microphones were designed to capture ambient sounds from the court and that it failed to ensure that appropriate safeguards were in place. The WTA said it would continue to broadcast practice sessions live, but without audio.
The WTA Finals, featuring the year’s top eight singles players and doubles teams, begin on Sunday. Pegula and Andreeva are placed in different groups and cannot meet until the semi-finals.
The incidents came to a head in January after a debate over the broadcasting of backstage areas at the Australian Open, when Gauff was filmed smashing his racquet in a private area.
Gauff called for more privacy, while former world No. 1 Iga Świątek said players were being treated like animals in a zoo.