"Steffi Graf herself would be ashamed at this" - Tennis fans criticize Pam Shriver for her new metric comparing Novak Djokovic & Graf's No. 1 records

On Monday, Pam Shriver introduced a new measure to compare the all-time No. 1 records of Novak Djokovic and Steffi Graf. Shriver even said that the new metric would show Graf to have better numbers.

Unsurprisingly, that did not go down well with many fans, as they felt Shriver's suggestion was belittling Djokovic's achievement.

Djokovic has overtaken Graf's mark of 377 weeks as the WTA No. 1 to become the sole owner of the combined men's and women's record for most weeks as World No. 1. The Serb entered his 378th week atop the ATP rankings earlier this week.

In that context, Pam Shriver claimed that the duo's stats should be viewed in terms of 'percentage of weeks spent at No. 1.' That would take into account the time they have spent at the top spot compared to other ranking places, which Shriver believes is a fair metric given the recent advancements in health and nutrition.

"How about putting a % of total weeks spent at #1? It would be another metric to compare say Graf and Djokovic’s total weeks at #1 to their total weeks with any ranking. Careers are longer now with recovery science and larger teams. I am sure Graf will have highest % weeks at #1," Pam Shriver tweeted.

Tennis fans were unhappy, to say the least, with Shriver's idea, and many heavily criticized her for seemingly taking credit away from Djokovic. One fan opined that even Graf herself would disagree with comparisons that take 'percentage of weeks' into consideration.

"Accept it and don't try to find ways to demean his achievements.. Steffi Graf herself would be ashamed at this comparison and reference. Ridiculous to say the least!!" a fan wrote on Twitter.

"Ms. Shriver, why are you so hellbent on trying to discredit and belittle Novak's achievements? you can dislike him for whatever reason outside the court, but have some respect for what he does on court, please," another tweet read.

Here are a few more reactions from fans to Pam Shriver introducing a new metric to compare Novak Djokovic and Steffi Graf's records:

Novak Djokovic survives scare in Dubai Tennis Championships 2023 opener

The current ATP world No. 1 in action at the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championships.

Novak Djokovic was stretched to the limit in his first match since the Australian Open at the ongoing Dubai Tennis Championships. After getting off to an ideal start by winning the first set against world No. 130 Tomas Machac, Djokovic was then forced into a deciding set tiebreaker.

The Serb, who had a 4-1 lead in the decider before Machac mounted another strong comeback, eventually won 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(1).

Next up for Djokovic is a clash against World No. 39 Tallon Griekspoor in the Round of 16 on Wednesday. The 22-time Slam champion will be looking to further increase his lead at the top of the ATP rankings after World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Mexican Open in Acapulco.

Djokovic's Indian Wells and Miami participation, however, remains doubtful because of his unvaccinated status.