It’s time for the 2026 Australian Open. This week, some of the biggest names in tennis are playing Down Under at the Australian Open. The tournament has reached the quarterfinals. Coverage is airing across ESPN and ESPN2. The entire tournament — including qualifying — will be available to stream for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 Australian Open.
How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
Dates: Jan. 17 – Feb. 1, 2026
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Location: Melbourne Park
TV channel: ESPN, ESPN2
Streaming: ESPN+
When is the 2026 Australian Open?
The 2026 Australian Open tournament officially kicks off on Sunday, January 18 — but thanks to the time difference, U.S. viewers will be tuning in Saturday night. Qualifying for the tournament began on Monday, January 12.
Australian Open channel:
In the U.S., the Australian Open will air across ESPN, with the entirety of the tournament streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. Select tournament coverage will also air on ESPN2, before moving to ESPN for the semifinals and beyond.
How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
ESPN’s revamped streaming platform offers thousands of exclusive live events, original studio shows, and acclaimed series that air across ESPN’s suite of 7 linear channels, as well as exclusive content on ESPN+, ABC on ESPN, SEC+, ACCNX, and some content from NFL Network and NFL RedZone. The Unlimited tier costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year.
DirecTV’s Entertainment tier gets you access to loads of channels where you can tune in to college and pro sports, including ESPN, TNT, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, and, depending on where you live, local affiliates for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.
Whichever package you choose, you’ll get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN+’s new streaming tier, ESPN Unlimited.
DirecTV’s Entertainment tier package is $89.99/month. But you can currently try all this out for free for 5 days. If you’re interested in trying out a live-TV streaming service but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.
Fubo’s skinny sports bundle includes local broadcast stations owned-and-operated by ABC, CBS and FOX, plus additional affiliates in select markets, as well as ACC Network, Big 10 Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox News, FS1, FS2, Fubo Sports Network, ION, NFL Network, SEC Network and Tennis Channel. It also includes free access to ESPN’s new ESPN+ unlimited plan. Fubo subscribers get unlimited cloud DVR storage too.
You can get $10 off your first month of this Fubo sports bundle, which brings the cost to $45.99; after that, it goes up to $55.99/month.
Sling TV’s Day Pass gives consumers the freedom to watch what they want, when they want, without committing to a monthly streaming subscription.
A single day pass costs $4.99 and lets you watch every channel available through Sling Orange, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, Disney Channel, and 30 more with no other subscriptions or commitment necessary. No strings attached.
Where to watch the 2026 Australian Open without cable:
If you want to catch every match of the Australian Open and don’t currently subscribe to ESPN+, cable or a live TV streaming service, in Australia a majority of the action will be streaming free with ads on 9Now.
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Don’t live in the land down under? Don’t worry, you can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to tennis coverage without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.
ExpressVPN offers “internet without borders,” meaning you can catch free coverage of the 2026 Australian Open without a cable package. All you’ll need to do is sign up for ExpressVPN, change your server location to Australia, and then find free livestream coverage via 9Now. Plus it’s Engadget’s pick for the best premium VPN. ExpressVPN offers three tiers of subscriptions: The Basic Plan (starting at $3.49/month), the Advanced Plan (starting at $4.49/month) and the Pro Plan (starting at $7.49/month).
ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.
Australian Open 2026 schedule:
All times Eastern
Saturday, January 17
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(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
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Sunday, January 18
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(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Monday, January 19
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(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 20
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(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 21
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(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 22
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(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Friday, January 23
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(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 24
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(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 25
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(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.
Monday, January 26
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(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 27
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(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28
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(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.
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(Day 12) Women’s Semifinals: 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 29
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(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 8:00 p.m.
Friday, January 30
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(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 3:30 a.m.
Saturday, January 31
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(Day 14) Women’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Sunday, February 1
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(Day 15) Men’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Who is playing in the 2026 Australian Open?
The top 10 seeded players for the singles draws are listed below.
Men’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026
1. Carlos Alcaraz
2. Jannik Sinner
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Novak Djokovic
5. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Women’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026
1. Aryna Sabalenka
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2. Iga Swiatek
3. Amanda Anisimova
4. Coco Gauff
5. Elena Rybakina
Australian Open prize money:
For 2026, the men’s and women’s singles winners of the Australian Open each get $4,150,000, with the runner-up receiving $2,150,000 and Semi-finalists $1,250,000.