Novak Djokovic is "probably the best" player on hardcourt, but Medvedev, Tsitsipas and I also play well on the surface: Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev believes Novak Djokovic is the best player on hardcourt, but feels NextGen players like himself, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are not far behind the Serb.

During his press conference after his second-round win over John Millman at the Australian Open on Wednesday, Zverev was asked to assess the chances of the top players in Melbourne in Djokovic's absence.

In reply, the German insisted that while the World No. 1 was "probably the best" in the men's game, players like him, Medvedev and Tsitsipas had proven with their credentials on the surface with top performances in recent months.

"I mean, I think, look, I think Novak is probably the best. No question about it. He's won the most," Zverev said. "But I think, yeah, I have said this a lot before, I think Daniil has won incredible tournaments the last few months, few years, so he's one of the best players on hard courts. I've won the Olympics, Tour Finals, stuff like that, so, I mean, I think I can play quite well on hard courts. I think Tsitsipas can play well on hard courts."

Zverev also tipped Rafael Nadal, who he could face in the last eight, as one of the players who could triumph in Melbourne this year.

"But I do think that Rafa right now is playing incredible tennis again. He's not somebody that you can forget this tournament," he added.

"I kind of have been doing okay on all surfaces except maybe grass" - Alexander Zverev

During the press conference, Zverev was also asked to list the aspects of his game that made him so successful on hardcourt. The German was quick to point out that he has posted good results on other surfaces as well, except for grass.

"I kind of have been doing okay on all surfaces except maybe grass. I've won three Masters titles on clay, as well, won more on clay than I did on hard courts in that regard.

"So, I mean, it's movement orientated, shot orientated, I can still hit quite heavy. These days the hard courts may be a bit slower than they used to be, but I wouldn't say that you know, I'm only good on hard courts. I think I can play all around."

The German will face Moldovia's Radu Albot for a place in the fourth round of the 2022 Australian Open.

Also check out: Australian Open 2022 Schedule of Play