Nick Kyrgios delivers in D.C., caps perfect start to US Open swing with Citi Open title

WATCH: Kyrgios captured the seventh title of his career on Sunday, and his second in D.C.

Nick Kyrgios felt he owed the Citi Open fans a great performance after his 2019 title defense went up in flames last summer, and the Wimbledon runner-up made good on that promise this week, winning his second title in Washington, D.C. with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Yoshihito Nishioka.

“I have been training really hard,” he said after his first match against American Marcus Giron. “I just feel like I'm in such a better place with my tennis. Mentally as well. I wanted to show that to the fans.

“Last year was a really poor performance from me, to be honest. I just really wanted to make sure I came out and gave them a good show, just to redeem myself. Just looking around the crowd, such an amazing tournament. I had such a bad taste in my mouth from last year.”

Kyrgios blended brilliance with occasional tempestuousness to capture all the key points in the championship match and secure his seventh career ATP title in just over 80 minutes on Stadium Court.

I just really wanted to make sure I came out and gave them a good show, just to redeem myself. Just looking around the crowd, such an amazing tournament. I had such a bad taste in my mouth from last year. Nick Kyrgios

Kyrgios remains undefeated since losing his first major final to Novak Djokovic, returning to action in Atlanta where he won a third doubles title with good friend Thanasi Kokkinakis, and partnered Jack Sock in D.C. to sweep the Citi Open in singles and doubles, later defeating Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek.

Kyrgios dropped just one set in what was surely the best match of the week, saving five match points to survive hometown favorite Frances Tiafoe. Besides that blip, Kyrgios was pitch-perfect through six matches, and got off to a quick start against Nishioka, who was playing his first final since the 2020 Delray Beach Open.

Nishioka, who has often struggled with injury throughout his career, enjoyed a revelatory week of his own in the U.S. capital, knocking out four straight seeds to book Sunday’s meeting with Kyrgios—including, and most notably, top seed Andrey Rublev in the semifinals.

Still, the scrambling Japanese star had too few answers for Kyrgios’ impeccable serving day, one that featured 12 aces and an 88%-win percentage off his first serve.

Kyrgios broke early in both sets and gamely defended his serve, saving the lone break point faced in two sets. With Nishioka serving to stay in it, Kyrgios fought off late-match frustrations to make one last break and fall to the court in delight.

By match's end, he'd struck 27 winners to 16 unforced errors to an even 10 each from Nishioka, and converted a solid three of five break point opportunities.

The win is tentatively set to return Kyrgios to the Top 40 after starting the week ranked No. 63. Though he reached the Wimbledon final, the 27-year-old earned no ranking points for the effort, making a strong performance at the Citi Open as important to his scheduling as it was for the fans who cheered him on throughout the week.

“I'm trying to stay locked in, and I feel if I had points from Wimbledon I wouldn't have that pressure of forcing myself to kind of win these matches, you know,” he said after defeating Tommy Paul on Wednesday.

“But in a way, it's good because I'm still putting in some really good performances. But as I said, I think I'm trying to get my ranking up a little bit more to a point where I don't have to play two matches to be in the third round of a 500. A bye would be nice. And I definitely feel like I'm playing that top tennis anyway.”