Mirra Andreeva has responded to Jessica Pegula's 'diva' comment by posting a photo of the pair together with the caption 'DIVAS' on Instagram, after the WTA apologised for the hot mic incident.
Both players are competing at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells. The two practised together ahead of the tournament in a session livestreamed by the WTA. After Andreeva left the court, Pegula criticised the French Open champion's behaviour during what she thought was a private conversation with her coach, Mark Knowles. Hot mics picked up her comments, and the footage went viral.
Pegula's Comment Caught on Hot Mic
“I think she's a nice girl, she's just a diva. She needs to be humbled,” the world No. 5 said of Andreeva. The WTA has since taken full responsibility and publicly apologised for the moment being caught on cameras and microphones. Pegula has also reportedly apologised to those involved.
Neither woman addressed the incident during pre-tournament media day, but both poked fun at the 'diva' comment following the season-ending photoshoot. Andreeva, Pegula and the other six singles stars at the WTA Finals were styled for the annual pre-tournament photoshoot, dressed in Chanel, and posed for photos alone and with their rivals.
Andreeva's Instagram Response
They even took one photo together, and Andreeva included it in a photo dump on her Instagram with the caption “DIVAS,” adding the nail emoji and a kissing emoji. The 32-year-old also joined in, commenting: “Divas in Chanel”. Pegula's comment has racked up more than 3,000 likes, while Andreeva's photo carousel has 43,000 likes and counting.
WTA Apologises for Livestream
Although Andreeva and Pegula have not otherwise commented on the incident, WTA Chair Valerie Camillo publicly apologised ahead of the season-ending championships. “I'd like to take a moment to address the livestream feeds on the practice courts that picked up some player conversations without their awareness,” she told media in Indian Wells.
“First, I want to apologise on behalf of the entire WTA for these occurrences. The WTA is sensitive to player privacy and has policies and procedures in place to balance players' needs for safe spaces with opportunities to bring fans closer to the game.
“There were several breakdowns in our execution of the livestream given our own policies and procedures. There was a lack of advanced notice and clear signage to assist players about the recording equipment operating in the area. It was also not our intention to capture conversations on the livestream of practices, but rather to record ambient sound. So clearly there was a failure in our technical execution and monitoring.
“As the chair of the WTA, I'm committed to leading an organisation that delivers the best for our players, tournaments and fans. Our execution here did not meet that standard.
“I want to specifically apologise to Jessica Pegula and Mark Knowles. What happened was regrettable and unacceptable. Jess is one of the WTA's best advocates and biggest stars. She does not deserve this distraction.
“As a member organisation, one of the primary responsibilities of the WTA is to protect our players whenever possible. That did not happen here. The players deserve better and we will continue to work to raise the bar for the WTA.”
