'All everyone wants is a quick cash grab' - Noah Rubin on Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour & other exhibitions

Novak Djokovic has spent a decade making his case to be the greatest of all time. He continues to chase Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as he amasses Slam after Slam, and many believe he will hold all the major records in tennis by the time he retires.

But while Novak Djokovic has dominated the men's tour, his personality and likability have lately inspired as much debate as his tennis. Exhibit A: the Adria Tennis Tour mishap which left the whole tennis community reeling as Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Novak Djokovic himself tested positive for COVID-19.

The Serb was roundly criticized for organizing an exhibition with little to no social distancing. He was also spotted partying with his buddies at a nightclub, making many question his sense of responsibility.

American player Noah Rubin recently added to the chorus of voices berating Djokovic, as he appeared on the podcast "Control the Controllables". Rubin gave his thoughts on the Adria Tour and other similar tournaments, talking about their implications on the rest of the tour.

Indian Wells was cancelled when there was just one confirmed COVID-19 case: Rubin

Noah Rubin

All was well in tennis at the start of 2020, as Novak Djokovic pummeled past the competition to win the Australian Open, Dubai Open and ATP Cup. However, the Serb's run was cut short when the tour was abruptly suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Going back to the cancellation of Indian Wells, Noah Rubin said:

"There was only one confirmed case in the Palm Desert area and they were super worried about having fans."

"They cancelled it later, and it was actually great to see. They possibly saved a lot of lives through what they did, you don't really know how much this could've affected people," Rubin added.

You probably all heard the news. Indian Wells cancelled. We are here and still deciding what’s next. So sad for all that is happening around the world with this situation. Hopefully soon solutions from the authorities. Stay all well and safe.

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) March 9, 2020

That was in stark contrast to Novak Djokovic's insistence to hold an exhibition tournament with thousands of fans in the middle of a global health crisis.

Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour was fighting common sense: Rubin

Novak Djokovic at the Adria Tour

In addition to Novak Djokovic's infamous Adria Tour, there have been a few other tournaments being organized in Europe as well - the Ultimate Tennis Showdown, Thiem's 7 and now the Berlin grasscourt event. Asked how he felt about these exhibitions, Noah Rubin said:

"It's been tough to see, you know. For athletic 20-, 25-year-olds like us the percentage of actually getting COVID-19 is very low. The main problem has been with the fans. Why are we forcing the issue, why are we having them there raises the probability ten-fold for players contracting something or spreading the virus."

"We saw the Adria Tour, it was fighting common sense on that one. And then there was Atlanta too. Everyone is in it for themselves, all they want is quick cash-grabs and they don't want to see the bigger picture," Rubin added.

Rubin may not be fully informed about the last point, given that Novak Djokovic's exhibition had noble intentions - all the proceeds were donated to various charitable organizations. However, he has a valid argument when it comes to the organizers' unwillingness to look at the bigger picture.