Diva? “Maybe I need a little more of that in myself”: Pegula and Andreeva, the WTA Finals ‘divas’, meet for the first time in the semi-finals
A week after being caught on a hot mic calling Mirra Andreeva “a diva”, Jessica Pegula faces the Russian for the first time in the first semi-final of the WTA Finals in Indian Wells on Saturday.
Jessica Pegula, WTA Finals 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewz
Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva meet in the first semi-final of the WTA Finals in Indian Wells on Saturday, at noon local time, a week after the American was caught on a hot mic calling the Russian “a diva” who “needs to be humbled”. It will be their first match on the tour.
“We’ve only practiced with each other twice, and we’ve never played,” Pegula said ahead of the semi-final. “I feel like we’re still a little unfamiliar with each other’s games.”
From hot mic to “Divas in Chanel”
The remarks were picked up by the courtside microphones after a practice session between the two players, livestreamed on the WTA’s YouTube channel. Pegula, talking to her coach Mark Knowles, also criticised Andreeva’s coach, Conchita Martinez. The WTA removed the footage and apologised for failing to tell players the microphones were on.
The two players quickly defused the affair. Andreeva posted a photo of them from the tournament photoshoot captioned “DIVAS”, and Pegula replied: “Divas in Chanel.”
On the eve of their semi-final, the American came back to it with a smile. “I think we’ve all seen Mirra has a good sense of humor… she said she embraces [being a diva],” Pegula said. “I was like, ‘maybe I need a little more of that in myself’.”
Pegula escaped, Andreeva cruised
Pegula, the fifth seed and a finalist in 2022 in Cancun, came through Group 1 on the narrowest of margins. She lost her opener to Coco Gauff after missing a match point, then beat Marta Kostyuk. On Thursday, she saved a match point to beat Linda Noskova 7-6 (2), 4-6, 7-5 with a career-high 16 aces, and went through ahead of Gauff on percentage of sets won.
Andreeva, the third seed, has had a much smoother week at her first WTA Finals. She beat Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-0, then Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-0, winning the last 11 games, to clinch first place in Group 2 with a match to spare. On Friday, she completed a perfect group stage by beating alternate Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-1, and arrives in the semi-finals unbeaten, without dropping a set and having lost only 11 games.
The 19-year-old, the youngest semi-finalist at the event since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009, is also sure to become world No. 2 on Monday.
The winner will play Sunday’s final against Linda Noskova or Elina Svitolina, who meet in the second semi-final.
