Titles won by Novak Djokovic not a decisive factor in GOAT debate: Former RG champion

For years now, Novak Djokovic has reigned supreme at the top of men's tennis. After playing second fiddle to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for some part of his career, Novak Djokovic managed to turn the tide mid-way through the last decade and is now chasing the duo with 17 Grand Slams in the bag.

However, some tennis fans and critics still believe that Novak Djokovic's claim to be the greatest player of all time in tennis history is dubious. And 1976 Roland Garros champion Adriano Panatta is one of those skeptics.

In a freewheeling chat with UBITennis, Panatta spoke about Novak Djokovic's recent controversies and where he stands in the GOAT race - with none of it being particularly complimentary.

Novak Djokovic is troubled by the idea of pleasing people at all costs: Panatta

Novak Djokovic "sharing his love" with his fans

Novak Djokovic has enjoyed immense success over the last decade. He is the World No. 1 right now, and has thoroughly dominated Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in his recent meetings with them. But he has never quite found the kind of crowd support that his rivals have enjoyed, and Panatta believes that is gnawing at the Serb.

"Nole seems troubled by the idea of pleasing the public at all costs," Panatta said.

The Italian also weighed in on the whole Adria Tour fiasco, for which Novak Djokovic has been facing criticism over the last couple of weeks.

"The rules should be respected, period," Panatta said. "Otherwise the war is waged and the necessary consequences are drawn. Novak Djokovic did none of this intentionally. It was a beneficial initiative, but it turned into a disaster."

Novak Djokovic certainly had the right intentions, as also evidenced by his generous contributions to coronavirus relief efforts since the start of the pandemic. He and his wife have donated nearly $6 million to the Serbian public health system and charities this year, but gestures like those have been forgotten in the aftermath of the Adria Tour disaster.

Fans have chosen Roger Federer, and then Rafael Nadal: Panatta

Novak Djokovic publicly apologized for his actions during the exhibition event, and has since made even more charitable donations to help those in need. But the damage done to his public image over the last few months - starting with his anti-vaxxer comments and then going on to his pseudo-scientific beliefs - is making it difficult for him to win over new fans.

pic.twitter.com/vR18zKhtL8

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) June 23, 2020

And Panatta believes Novak Djokovic's relative lack of popularity will have a say in determining who the greatest of all time is.

It is no secret that the former Roland Garros champion considers Roger Federer to be the greatest men's player of all time. For Panatta, statistics alone aren't the only decisive factor; even if Djokovic goes on to win more Slams than Federer or Nadal, he will still be third best in the Italian's mind.

"Fans have chosen Roger, and then Nadal at his side. Novak Djokovic is a great player, but in the end, as always, the count of the titles won will not be decisive. The ones who intend to be the best, they go on the field to win. But the show must be worth the ticket price," Panatta said.

Novak Djokovic's actions during the coronavirus-enforced suspension of the tour have seriously harmed his image on the world stage, making many question his role model status. But knowing what we do of the Serb, he would be itching to get back on the court and prove his critics wrong.