Mirra Andreeva has spoken for the first time about the hot-mic row with Jessica Pegula at the WTA Finals, revealing that the American apologised to her in person within hours of the incident.

The 19-year-old Russian was asked about the episode in the mixed zone at Indian Wells after her 6-4, 6-0 win over Elina Svitolina on Monday, her first match at the season-ending championships. She said Pegula approached her on the same day the private conversation was broadcast.

“I really appreciated that she came up to me on the same day,” Andreeva said. “I think maybe a couple of hours just went by and she, you know, she approached me.”

Andreeva chose not to share the details of what was said between them, saying she would prefer to keep the conversation private. “Obviously, she apologized. So yeah, there is no drama or anything behind it. Now we’re able to laugh about it. So I think that’s the most important,” she added.

How the row started

The controversy began last Wednesday, when Pegula and Andreeva shared a practice session at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and the WTA was livestreaming it on its official channels. Microphones set up to capture ambient court sound picked up Pegula speaking privately with her coach, Mark Knowles.

Pegula, who did not know the microphones were live, described Andreeva as “a bit of a diva” who “needs to be humbled”, and said she had “lost a bit of respect” for Andreeva’s coach, Conchita Martinez. The footage was taken down, but not before clips circulated widely online.

The WTA moved quickly to take the blame, saying it “takes full responsibility for failing to inform our players and their teams” that the microphones were active. The tour apologised and confirmed that future practice livestreams would carry no audio. Pegula’s representative said she had no idea she could be heard and had apologised directly to those involved.

The pair turn it into a joke

Andreeva had already made light of the episode on Instagram, posting a photo of the pair from the WTA Finals photoshoot captioned “DIVAS.” Pegula replied in the comments: “Divas in Chanel.”

The joke has since become a running theme at the tournament. In a clip from Sky Sports’ coverage, Madison Keys, working as an analyst at the event, greeted Andreeva with a smiling “Hi diva” and a hug.

It was not the only privacy breach of the week. In a separate livestreamed session, Elena Rybakina was heard snapping at her coach, Stefano Vukov, during a practice hit with Linda Noskova. The WTA Finals is run by the WTA itself, so there was no outside organiser to share responsibility for the microphones being left on.

What happens next on court

On court, Andreeva made a dream start to her WTA Finals debut, beating Svitolina in 70 minutes for her 51st win of the season. She faces two-time finalist Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday, with the winner securing a place in the last four.

Pegula, meanwhile, started her week with a 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 defeat by Coco Gauff on Sunday and meets Marta Kostyuk in her second group match. The two players are in opposite round-robin groups and would only meet again in the semi-finals if both advance. The tournament runs until Sunday, 15 November.