Nick Kyrgios says he has got "bit of a bromance" going with Novak Djokovic, but calls Daniil Medvedev "best player in the world"

Nick Kyrgios commented on his growing friendship with Novak Djokovic during his press conference after beating Liam Broady in the first round of the 2022 Australian Open. Kyrgios labeled his relationship with Djokovic a "bromance", while also revealing he considers Daniil Medvedev the "best player in the world."

The Aussie has openly supported the World No. 1 during the latter's visa fiasco, often speaking out against his own government and also against players like Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas. He has discussed the topic numerous times throughout the past couple of weeks, even highlighting how the Serb had helped Australia by donating money when bushfires ravaged the nation.

Kyrgios' words and gestures have not gone unnoticed by the Serb, who personally thanked the Aussie for all his support on Instagram.

This comes in stark contrast to their relationship before this incident. Kyrgios would often take aim at the Serb when the latter found himself embroiled in controversy, particularly during the much-maligned Adria tour.

Speaking to the media after beating Broady, Kyrgios admitted to having "differences" with Djokovic in the past but stressed he would have supported anyone if they were in the Serb's situation.

"Obviously me and Novak have had some, I guess, differences in the past," Kyrgios said. "But, I mean, whether it was Novak or someone else, I would have done the same thing."

In recent weeks, the Aussie's actions have made him immensely popular amongst Serbians, with fellow pro Dusan Lajovic recently calling him "Nick the Serb." Kyrgios explained that he did not support Djokovic in order to get into the good books of the Serbian people, but rather because he felt it was the right thing to do.

"I didn't do it because he was Serbian," Kyrgios continued. "If it was another player in that scenario, I would have stood up for what I think was right. I think it was just coincidentally it was Novak, and, you know, it was quite a story."

"But yeah, we got a bit of a bromance going on now," he added. "Not that I'm complaining. I think I'm going to ask him to play doubles somewhere (smiling)."

Kyrgios will face World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the Australian Open. Medvedev is the bookies outright favorite to win the tournament in the absence of Djokovic.

When asked for his thoughts on the upcoming match against Medvedev, Kyrgios expressed his excitement at facing the Russian, calling him the "best" in the world.

"I mean, obviously either way it's going to be a hell of an experience for me," Kyrgios said. "You know, he's probably the best player in the world at the moment. So I'm pretty excited, I'm excited for that moment. That's why I play the game."

"I feel like those matches still excite me" - Nick Kyrgios on second-round contest with Daniil Medvedev

During the press conference, the Aussie revealed that he was still highly motivated to face a top-quality opponent. Kyrgios, however, admitted he would burden himself with expectations.

"I feel like those matches still excite me, to go out there and play the best in the world," Kyrgios continued. "That was always something I wanted to prove to people that someone like me could do, win those matches. I'm not going to go into it with a lot of expectation. I'm going to go out there, have some fun, play my game. I have a pretty set-in-stone game plan of what I need to do to have success."

The 26-year-old explained that Medvedev is a "hard-worker" who "ticks all the boxes.

"As I said, he's probably the best player in the world, he does everything extremely well. He's a hard worker, ticks all the boxes," he added.

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