The WTA admits it never told players their practice chatter was live, after Jessica Pegula's remarks about Mirra Andreeva hit its YouTube stream.
The WTA has issued an apology after a hot mic moment turned a routine practice session into the talk of the tour. The governing body admitted it never told players that their on-court conversations were being broadcast on its YouTube livestream.
The fallout began when Jessica Pegula was overheard making unflattering comments about Mirra Andreeva and her coach, Conchita Martínez. Pegula reportedly described the young Russian as a 'diva' who 'needs to be humbled'. The clip spread quickly, putting a private moment of locker-room-style venting in front of a global audience.
The WTA's admission shifts much of the focus onto the tour itself. Players warming up and chatting with their teams reasonably assumed those exchanges were private, and the league has now acknowledged that they were not given any warning that the audio was live.
To stop it happening again, the WTA says practice livestreams will continue, but without audio. Fans will still get the on-court action, while the conversations between players and coaches stay off the air.
