"Don't care who I play in the final if I'm in the final" -Alexander Zverev on the prospect of facing Novak Djokovic in Dubai Tennis Championships 

Alexander Zverev has revealed that the possibility of facing Novak Djokovic in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships does not bother him.

Zverev commenced his campaign in Dubai on Monday. He faced Jiri Lehecka in the first round. The German registered a comeback victory after falling short against the Czech in the opening set (4-6, 6-3, 6-4). This is only the German's third win of the season as he is still showing signs of rustiness of having not played on tour for a long time.

While Zverev is yet to produce convincing results in 2023, he is confident of his game. The World No. 16 is quite unfazed about his opponent and is ready to face even the in-form Djokovic without any worries.

"Yes (on whether he wants to face Djokovic in Dubai), because that means it's a final, so... I don't care who I play in the final if I'm in the final, to be honest right now," he said during the post-match press conference on Monday.

Zverev and the Serb have been placed in separate lots. If they are ever to face each other in Dubai, it will be in the final round.

Reflecting on his win against Lehecka, Zverev acknowledged that he did not play at his best. However, he expressed hopes of getting better in his next match.

"I think it obviously wasn't my best match, especially in the first set, but it was very important for me to turn it around. It was very important for me to find a way to win, especially at the stage I'm in right now. I'm happy I did that. I'm sure I'll play better in the next match," the 25-year-old stated.

Zverev will face either Emil Ruusuvuori or Christopher O'Connell in the next round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

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"On all the different surfaces, he can play the best tennis" - Alexander Zverev on Novak Djokovic

2023 Australian Open

While Alexander Zverev is not bothered about facing Novak Djokovic in the final of the Dubai-based tournament, he has marked his respect for the World No. 1, stating that the Serb can play his best tennis regardless of the court surface.

Reflecting on Djokovic's record for most weeks as No. 1 in the rankings, Zverev conveyed that the 35-year-old has been "dominating" the sport for the last 10-12 years.

"I think I said in Doha already, that shows the achievement he has. He's been dominating tennis for the last 10, 12 years. I've said that. On all the different surfaces, he can play the best tennis. That's why his ranking has been constantly up there," opined Zverev.

Novak Djokovic will commence his campaign in Dubai with a first-round fixture against Tomas Machac on Tuesday.