Elena Rybakina is the latest player to be caught on a hot mic in practice at Indian Wells ahead of the WTA Finals.
Just as excitement for the season-ending event in California was building, tournament organisers have had to deal with a PR disaster days before the competition began.
The WTA Tour initially broadcast the top eight players’ practice sessions but came a cropper when Jessica Pegula was caught criticising Mirra Andreeva and her coach Conchita Martinez.
The world No 5 commented, “I lost respect for her. She’s a good girl, but she needs to mature. I don’t know if it’s because she doesn’t know how to handle it.”
Pegula, 32, was also heard saying that if the French Open champion and world No 3 had Coco Gauff‘s “mentality”, she would be “better than Coco”.
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When footage began circulating on social media, the WTA Tour quickly deleted the videos, but more clips continue to percolate online.
One of them included world No 1 Rybakina on Stadium 2 having a practice session with Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.
In the footage, the US Open champion appears to be remonstrating with her coach, Stefano Vukov, who was suspended in February 2025 by the WTA Tour following an independent investigation into his behaviour towards the player.
Just as they walk to the net, the 27-year-old stops and says to Vukov, who returned to her team in August 2025, “Stay here. I’m talking to you.”
“I’m talking to you! Can you stand over here?”
First Pegula, now Rybakina. 😂
I think it’s safe to say that this is the last time we are going to have audio on a live stream. https://t.co/dzrjlRx5MD
— The Tennis Panda (@TheTennisPanda) November 5, 2026
The Australian Open champion then asks him to “stand here” before they head over to the other side of the court and greet Noskova and her team.
While Rybakina was not caught making pointed remarks about any of her rivals, as Pegula did, it is likely that the WTA Tour will be regretting its decision to livestream practices.
Rybakina is in Group 1 in the WTA Finals, alongside world No 4 Gauff, Pegula, and world No 8 Noskova. In Group 2, world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka will lock horns with Andreeva, sixth seed Elina Svitolina, and world No 7 Karolina Muchova.
The tournament, which has a total prize money pot of $15million (£11.1m), gets underway on Sunday and runs until 15 November.
READ MORE: Jessica Pegula pleads for ‘Pete’ to ‘get off of work’ after ‘craziest thing I’ve ever seen’
