Watch Australian Open 2026 live streams
The first major of the year has arrived as the world’s best players descend on Melbourne for the Australian Open 2026. The tournament gets underway on Sunday, January 18 and runs until Sunday, February 1, with all action from the Australian Open FREE to watch on 9Now in Australia. You can use a VPN to watch tennis live streams from anywhere if you're away.
- FREE: Channel 9 and 9Now (AU)
- US: ESPN+ / ESPN via Sling / Fubo
- UK: TNT Sports via Discovery+
- Unblock any stream: NordVPN – the No.1 tennis VPN
Australian Open 2026 preview
When it comes to the men’s draw, it seems almost inevitable that the final will be contested between world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and defending champion Jannik Sinner. The duo have contested the last three Grand Slam finals, with the Spaniard triumphing on two occasions. However, Alcaraz has never made it beyond the quarter-finals in Australia, while Sinner triumphed in 2024 and 2025.
Should either of the top two slip up, then there are a host of challengers who will look to take full advantage. Alexander Zverev excelled last year in his run to the final, while Daniil Medvedev is a three-time finalist in Melbourne. American duo Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz both possess powerful games that suit hard courts, and then there’s Novak Djokovic, the 10-time champion hoping to deliver one more memorable run in Melbourne.
The women’s draw is perhaps harder to predict, as was proven last year when Madison Keys won her first-ever major title. The American enjoyed a remarkable run Down Under, including a memorable victory in the final over Aryna Sabalenka. Despite being the champion, Keys will be an outsider for the title, while Sabalenka will be the favorite after winning the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles.
Other contenders include six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff, fellow American Amanda Anisimova, who enjoyed a breakout 2025 that included reaching two major finals, and former Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina. Meanwhile, a potential dark horse is rising star Mirra Andreeva who last year recorded several wins over the world’s best players.
Make sure you know how to get an Australian Open live stream from wherever you are. Below we have all the information you need on TV channels, international live streams, online coverage and a full list of this year's seeds.
Free Australian Open 2026 free stream
Channel 9 and its 9Now streaming service has the rights to broadcast the 2026 Australian Open in Australia, live and for free from January 18th until February 1.
The 9Now streaming service is absolutely free to use – all you need to sign up is your email address, and you can watch on your computer, smartphone, tablet or streaming devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku and select Smart TVs.
Once logged in to 9Now, you can choose what match you want to watch, with coverage from all courts at Melbourne Park.
Stuck outside Oz at the moment? You can use a VPN to access a live stream without being blocked...
Watch Australian Open live stream 2026 from anywhere
You won't be able to watch your regular tennis live streams while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.
You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch any Australian Open 2026 live stream from anywhere in the world.
We rate NordVPN as the best VPN for streaming sport. It offers a 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.
Watch Australian Open live streams 2026 in the US
Tennis fans in the US can watch an Australian Open live stream on ESPN and ESPN2, which can be accessed through a variety of cable packages as well as cord cutting services such as Sling and Fubo. There are no long contracts with either service. If you're not happy with them, you can cancel them at any time.
Sling TV includes ESPN and ESPN2 with its Orange package, with prices starting at $45.99 a month.
Fubo's Sports plan includes both ESPN channels and cloud DVR with thousands of hours of space to store shows. Prices start at $55.99 a month. Plus, there's a free trial of Fubo too.
The ESPN Unlimited streaming service is also carrying all of the live tennis action. It carries a wealth of top sports content including MLB, NHL, MLS and Top Rank Boxing events, as well as FA Cup soccer. You can subscribe to it for $29.99 per month or $299.99 annually.
Of course, ESPN Unlimited, Sling and FuboTV are only available within the States, so be sure to use a VPN if you're a US subscriber stuck abroad. We recommend NordVPN, as it's reliable and comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Watch Australian Open 2026 live stream in the UK
The 2026 Australian Open is being shown live on TV on TNT Sports in the UK, which is available through certain packages from Sky TV, EE TV and Virgin Media.
Alternatively, you can live stream Australian Open tennis with a Discovery+ subscription. To get this you will need the TNT Sports plan which starts at £30.99 a month. With this subscription, you also get access to Premier League and Champions League soccer, PREM rugby, MotoGP, UFC, cricket and more.
Discovery+ plans run monthly and can be cancelled at any time.
Watch Australian Open live stream 2026 in Australia
As explained above, Aussies can watch their own tennis Grand Slam absolutely free thanks to Channel 9 and 9Now.
Australian Open 2026 live streams can also be found on the Stan Sport streaming service in Australia. The basic Stan package is $12 per month and comes with a 30-day free trial. When you add the necessary Stan Sport add-on, though, for an $15 extra per month, that gets charged immediately.
Away from Oz? Use a VPN to access your local live stream from overseas – without being blocked.
Australian Open 2026 tournament schedule
Jan 18-20: First round
Jan 21-22: Second round
Jan 23-24: Third round
Jan 25-26: Fourth round
Jan 27-28: Quarter-finals
Jan 29: Women's semi-finals
Jan 30: Men's semi-finals
Jan 31: Women's final
Feb 1: Men's final
Australian Open 2026 tournament start times
Global Australian Open 2026 start times – Morning & evening sessions
- Australia (local): 11am & 7pm
- USA (ET/PT): 7pm / 4pm & 3am / 12am
- UK: 12am & 8am
- Central Europe: 1am & 9am
Australian Open 2026 seeds
Men
- Carlos Alcaraz
- Jannik Sinner
- Alexander Zverev
- Novak Djokovic
- Lorenzo Musetti
- Alex de Minaur
- Felix Auger-Aliassime
- Ben Shelton
- Taylor Fritz
- Alexander Bublik
- Daniil Medvedev
- Casper Ruud
- Andrey Rublev
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
- Karen Khachanov
- Jakub Mensik
- Jiri Lehecka
- Francisco Cerundolo
- Tommy Paul
- Flavio Cobolli
- Denis Shapovalov
- Luciano Darderi
- Tallon Griekspoor
- Arthur Rinderknech
- Learner Tien
- Cameron Norrie
- Brandon Nakashima
- Joao Fonseca
- Frances Tiafoe
- Valentin Vacherot
- Stefanos Tsitsipas
- Corentin Moutet
Women
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Iga Swiatek
- Coco Gauff
- Amanda Anisimova
- Elena Rybakina
- Jessica Pegula
- Jasmine Paolini
- Mirra Andreeva
- Madison Keys
- Belinda Bencic
- Ekaterina Alexandrova
- Elina Svitolina
- Linda Noskova
- Clara Tauson
- Emma Navarro
- Naomi Osaka
- Victoria Mboko
- Liudmila Samsonova
- Karolina Muchova
- Marta Kostyuk
- Elise Mertens
- Leylah Fernandez
- Diana Shnaider
- Jelena Ostapenko
- Paula Badosa
- Dayana Yastremska
- Sofia Kenin
- Emma Raducanu
- Iva Jovic
- Maya Joint
- Anna Kalinskaya
- Marketa Vondrousova
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