“After Washington, I could’ve come here and be content with what I did last week but I wanted to empty the tank” - Nick Kyrgios eager to climb the ATP rankings ahead of 2022 US Open

Nick Kyrgios has stated that he's looking forward to making the most of the hardcourt swing and climbing the ATP rankings before he competes at the US Open later this month.

The Australian is currently in Montreal, where he is competing at the 2022 Canadian Open. He upset World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-2 in his second-round match on Wednesday.

Speaking to the Tennis Channel following the win, Kyrgios said that he's enjoying his tennis and is looking to get back to where he belongs in the ATP rankings.

"It's rewarding to beat the World No. 1, it's just a reflection of all the hard work I've done in Sydney. You know, the positive mindset. After Washington, [I] could [have] easily come here and be content with what I did last week. But I wanted to empty the tank these two weeks. My ranking is not where I wanted to be after not getting those points at Wimbledon. I got to capitalize on this little window," Nick Kyrgios explained.

Kyrgios showed resilience to bounce back after losing the opening set, during which he failed to convert two set points. An early break on Medvedev's serve in the second set proved key as the Aussie dominated on serve to level the contest.

The 27-year-old, who used the serve-and-volley tactic to exploit the defending champion’s deep positioning behind the baseline on return, said that he chose his tactics well before the contest started.

"I came out today and I was like I'm just gonna go there with a serve-and-volley tactic pretty much every point, serving in volume. I didn't want to give him any rhythm. Obviously, he's playing pretty well right now so I wanted to just try and break it," Kyrgios said.

It is Kyrgios’ second win over a reigning World No. 1 after he defeated Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2014. The Australian has now won 13 of his past 14 matches, with the win against Medvedev lifting him to No. 31 in the ATP live ranking.

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Nick Kyrgios to face Alex de Minaur in third round of 2022 Canadian Open

With his win over Daniil Medvedev, Nick Kyrgios progressed to the third round of the 2022 Canadian Open, where he will take on compatriot Alex de Minaur for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Having never progressed past the third round at the Canadian Masters, he will be gunning to beat de Minaur and set the record right.

There's a lot at stake for Kyrgios in Montreal. If he wins his maiden Masters 1000 title in Canada, the 27-year-old could jump as high as No. 15 in the ATP rankings. He could also go as high as ninth in the ATP Race to Turin.