Kyrgios sealed a place in the Australian Open Round of 16 after downing Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 at Rod Laver Arena on Friday night.

The match lasted over three hours as many Australians both at the match and on social media were getting behind the 22-year-old.

And while Kyrgios has been nothing short of controversy over the years, he said he is always just trying to be himself.

“It doesn't worry me at all, it's not something I wake up and I'm like ‘look, today I'm going to try to change the perception’,” Kyrgios said.

“I've always played the same way, nothing has changed. I've always been emotional. I showed emotion out there tonight.

“I feel like I've always been a caring person. I guess it's just how you guys perceive it.”

Kyrgios also said it was important for players to be honest when addressing the media.

“I'm always going to say what I think, it's an opportunity to get a message across,” he said.

“But I would love to see what players think, how they really feel. They all have different personalities. No one is the same. It would be good for everyone to just say what they think.”

Kyrgios also admitted there were nerves going up against Tsonga, his childhood hero.

“Just the way I played, he's a tough opponent,” he said. “He's beaten pretty much all the top guys in the world. I knew it was going to be an incredibly tough match. I was very nervous going out there today.

“Being 5-2 down in the fourth-set breaker, I was kind of getting ready for a fifth set mentally. I somehow just hung in and got a couple looks. It was surreal out there today, that win.”

Kyrgios now faces Grigor Dimitrov in the last 16 on Sunday.