For several years now, women’s tennis has been much more interesting than men’s tennis. Maybe that was always the case, but the difference has become more pronounced in the post-Big Three Era (Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer are retired, while Novak Djokovic likely has long-covid and he refuses to say it). The WTA has a wealth of storylines, dramas, beefs and friendships. Currently, Jessica Pegula is one of two Americans in the WTA top-five, alongside her frequent doubles-partner Coco Gauff. Jessica – called JPeg by fans – is a Slam finalist but she’s never won a major. Well, JPeg is getting international headlines because of a hot mic situation. She was practicing on one of the back courts ahead of the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, California, and she was recorded saying sh-t to her coach about Gauff and Mirra Andreeva, the Russian teenager who won the French Open this year.
Tennis pro Jessica Pegula was caught on a video recording criticizing Russian tennis pro Mirra Andreeva and fellow American pro Coco Gauff.
In a livestream video circulating on X, Pegula, 32, is seen on a court speaking with her coach after practicing during the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals in Indian Wells, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Pegula refers to Conchita Martínez, who coaches 19-year-old Andreeva, as “nice,” but adds that she has “lost a little respect for her.”
Pegula is then heard calling Andreeva a “diva” who “needs to be humbled” and “put in her place,” before accusing Martínez of egging on Andreeva’s behavior.
“If I was a coach and my girl, you just played four great games, and you’re up four-zero, and you’re mad at me, hitting balls at me, I would be like, first of all, [that’s] disrespectful to the other person,” Pegula says in the video. “You’re four-zero, shut the f— … ”
“Conchita, like pokes her and like eggs on her behavior.”
Pegula later says if Andreeva had Coco Gauff’s “mentality,” then she would “be better than Coco.”
Pegula will face off against Gauff on Sunday, Nov. 8, at the WTA Finals.
PEOPLE reached out to reps for Pegula, Gauff, Andreeva and the WTA for comment.
First of all, I don’t think JPeg was really disrespecting Coco, who is her friend and doubles partner. Jessica’s assessment – that if Mirra had Coco’s mentality, Mirra would be better than Coco – is actually dead-on. Mirra struggles because she’s a moody teenager who has frequent on-court meltdowns. When Coco was a moody teen phenom, she had some on-court meltdowns too, but she’s also had a maturity to her mindset/grindset which is why she’s been a top-ten player for many years. Coco has won multiple majors because of her ability to lock in mentally while driving her opponents to melt down. Mirra won the French because she’s crazy-talented, and she won in spite of her (sometimes) poor mentality and frequent meltdowns. Now, I think JPeg was genuinely being shady about Mirra – the “needs to be humbled” thing is so weird, and Jessica might need to apologize for that.
“Pegula” trying to talk about mentality about GS champion Mirra Andreeva?😹 https://t.co/wgyOyL8E9r
— tm🇿🇼🏴 (@tmlfcc) November 4, 2026
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Backgrid.
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- Jessica Pegula is seen during Media Day at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Featuring: Jessica Pegula Where: Flushing Meadows, New York, United States When: 28 Aug 2026 Credit: Robert Bell/INSTARimages
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- Coco Gauff of the United States winning the women’s singles at Roland Garros on June 07, 2025 in Paris, France. Internationaux de tennis de Roland-Garros – Coco Gauff remporte la finale Dame 2025,Image: 1008383664, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Lionel Guericolas/Avalon
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- Coco Gauff of the United States winning the women’s singles at Roland Garros on June 07, 2025 in Paris, France. Internationaux de tennis de Roland-Garros – Coco Gauff remporte la finale Dame 2025,Image: 1008384598, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Lionel Guericolas/Avalon
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- Paris, FRANCE – Coco Gauff wins her first title in Paris at the 2025 Roland Garros French Open Final (Day 14). Pictured: Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka BACKGRID USA 7 JUNE 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula pose with the championship doubles trophy at the 2023 Miami Open held at at Hard Rock Stadium. Featuring: Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula Where: Miami Gardens, Florida, United States When: 02 Apr 2023 Credit: Robert Bell/INSTARimages
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- MIAMI, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 08: Amanda Anisimova Vs Jessica Pegula during the Miami Invitational at LoanDepot Park on December 08, 2025 in Miami, Florida. Photo By Larry Marano © 2025 Featuring: Jessica Pegula Where: Miami, Florida, United States When: 08 Dec 2025 Credit: Robert Bell/INSTARimages
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- Mirra Andreeva Vs Victoria Mboko during The Miami Open held at Hard Rock Stadium on March 23, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Featuring: Mirra Andreeva Where: Miami Gardens, Florida, United States When: 23 Mar 2026 Credit: Robert Bell/INSTARimages
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- Mirra Andreeva in action against Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Women’s Singles Quarter Final on day nine of China Open at the National Tennis Center Featuring: Mirra Andreeva Where: Beijing, China When: 08 Oct 2026 Credit: Peter Li/Nexpher Images/Cover Images
Let’s not forget that Pegula’s a billionaire. I think anyone who hasn’t won a slam shouldn’t be talking about mentality or talent. She should focus on her own game.
The Pegulas are absolute trash. No one could ever make me like them.
Pegula has been around for a while as it finally playing at/above her talent. She spent years talking but not backing it up. She’s 32 and running out of time to win Slams given the young talent coming up quickly.
I mean it was a private conversation? No one was meant to hear it. I don’t even follow women’s tennis (or any tennis really) so I know almost nothing about this person. But I imagine people say stuff about other people in private conversations all the time and some of it is critical.
Well people say what they mean when not being recorded. Weird it’s being shared around.
This is a bit of a non-story imo: her comments were pretty mild and also spot on, in a brutally honest way. Andreeva is technically more proficient and talented than Coco, but Coco whoops others and makes up for the holes in her game with great mentality and hustle. The only slightly bitchy part was the humbled comment, but it’s also kinda true and it was a private conversation so ehhh not reaching for my pitchfork on this one.
Zzzzzz. This would be such a non-issue if a man said this.
No, she does not need to apologize.
Oh look, the media trying to minimize women’s sport by putting it out there that the women are just catty. F that. This was a private conversation. We don’t all have to like each other and as long as she wasn’t disrespecting anyone publicly, leave it alone.
I don’t follow the WNBA super closely but the headlines about those athletes fighting with each other have gotten suspiciously loud, too.
I’m not sure what the slight is? Saying that acting out on court is disrespectful is… true? Also she’s just saying to Coco has a solid mentality. This is a total non-story.