Caroline Wozniacki not the true number one says Martina Navratilova

Nobody feels that Caroline Wozniacki is the rightful world number one and the Dane owes her top ranking to a flawed WTA system, according to Martina Navratilova.

The Czech-born great said Wimbledon champion and world number two Petra Kvitova should have dislodged Wozniacki last year because she had a better season overall.

"Clearly nobody feels that Wozniacki is a true number one," 18-times grand slam winner Navratilova told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.

"If we still had the same ranking system we were using six years ago when they were giving bonus points for beating players, Kvitova would have ended up number one because she had beaten more top players than Wozniacki.

"Wozniacki doesn't even have that great of a record in her career or the last four years over the top 10 or against the top five, whereas Petra you feel really imposes herself on the match and any player."

Navratilova said Wozniacki's lack of a grand slam title was irrelevant in the debate over the top ranking.

"It's not about 'deserve'," the 55-year-old said when asked whether the Dane was a worthy number one.

"She's number one because that's how they set up the computer ranking. If you had the system from six years ago she wouldn't be.

"If we had the system from 15 years ago she wouldn't be. But it is the way it is. It weighs too much on quantity and not enough on quality.

"The year before (Wozniacki) was number one because she had by far the best record, period," added Navratilova. "Never mind the slams.

"This last year it was even with Petra, but had two majors with the season-end Championships and Wimbledon, of course.

"Fed Cup doesn't count. In Davis Cup, the matches count and in Fed Cup they don't. So it's like (Kvitova) was penalised every single step of the way.

"So Caroline doesn't need to explain why she was number one, it's the WTA that needs to explain that."

Navratilova also waded into the debate about fair prize money at tennis's four grand slam events, saying players were underpaid relative to the tournaments' takings.

"I think the grand slams are making a lot more than they're sharing with the players," she said. "That's a fact. When the players try to talk to them, the grand slams are like, 'Oh, well. Get lost. Too bad.'

"The players made the slams big and the slams made the players big. It's a very symbiotic relationship, but the slams are ruling the roost.

"Compared to what a teacher is a making, we are grossly overpaid. Compared to what the slams are grossing or netting I should say, they are underpaid."

Reuters