Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
The Women’s Tennis Association has said it takes “full responsibility” for failing to inform players about active microphones on practice courts after Jessica Pegula was overheard making derogatory comments about Mirra Andreeva and her coach Conchita Martinez ahead of the season-ending WTA Finals.
Practice sessions at Indian Wells, California, were livestreamed on the WTA’s YouTube channel before the tournament begins on Sunday, with microphones capturing a conversation between world No.5 Pegula and her coach Mark Knowles.
Pegula can clearly be heard calling the 19-year-old French Open champion a “diva” and saying she has “lost respect” for former Wimbledon winner Martinez for not calling out her behaviour.
Pegula goes on to say Andreeva would be better than her fellow American Coco Gauff if she had the same mentality.
“(Andreeva) acts like such a diva and needs to be humbled. Conchita eggs on her behaviour, I like Conchita, but I’ve lost respect for her,” Pegula said.
“If my player is training well and is 4-0 up and winning, but turns on me and talks to me like that, I would have to say something to her.
“Conchita feeds that kind of behavior in her. She needs someone to bring her back down to earth. The girl’s really good, but mentally she’s a bit… If she had Coco’s mentality she’d be better than her.”
Another practice session featured world No.1 Elena Rybakina having an apparent spat with her coach.
“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 governing body said in a statement.
“We sincerely apologise for failing to meet our responsibility to ensure players and coaches were properly informed,” the tour said.
The WTA subsequently removed recordings of Wednesday’s practice sessions from YouTube, although clips of the exchange had already been widely shared online.
A representative for Pegula told The Athletic that the American had “absolutely no idea” her conversation was being livestreamed and never expected a private discussion during practice to be made public.
The representative added that Pegula had contacted those involved to apologise.
Pegula, a member of the WTA Players’ Council, also praised Andreeva in the conversation, describing the world No.3 as “wonderful” and “smart”.
The WTA Finals, which features the best eight singles players and doubles teams of the year, begins on Sunday.
Pegula and Andreeva have been drawn in different groups and cannot meet until the semi-finals.
The incidents follow a debate at the Australian Open in January around the broadcasting of backstage areas, with Gauff annoyed after being filmed smashing her racket in what she thought was a private area.
Gauff called for more privacy, while former world number one Iga Swiatek said players were being treated like animals in a zoo.
