Pegula was also heard saying that French Open champion Andreeva “needs to be humiliated” and that her coach Conchita Martinez encourages her behavior.
A representative for Pegula said she had been in direct contact with those involved and was “completely unaware” that the conversation could be heard over court microphones.
Neither player was asked about the incident during the pre-tournament press conference in Indian Wells on Friday, but Pegula spoke about it in an interview with ESPN.
“I think it’s something that we’ve fought a lot against in recent years because there’s a lot more surveillance and audio and access to players at tournaments than in the past,” she said., external
“I know for broadcast it’s great for the fans, but I think we’ve seen a few incidents throughout the year, (over the) last few years actually, where it just seems completely unnecessary.
“I think (this will) definitely reignite the topic and hopefully we can unfortunately use this incident to continue to promote more privacy for players.”
Pegula’s compatriot Coco Gauff called for more privacy after she was captured in the players’ area smashing a racket following a loss to Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January.
At the same major tournament, six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek said players were watched “like animals in a zoo” by behind-the-scenes cameras.
YouTube streams of Wednesday’s practice sessions at Indian Wells have since been deleted by the WTA, but the footage had already been shared on social media.
Referring to the incident in California, where the WTA season-ending finals are being held, Camillo added: “The WTA is sensitive to player privacy and has implemented policies and procedures to balance players’ needs for safe spaces with opportunities to bring fans closer to the match.
“There was a lack of notice and clear signage to assist players regarding recording equipment operating in the area.”
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