How to watch Australian Open 2026: FREE live streams, finals order of play, preview

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan playing at the 2026 Australian Open — (Image credit: Lintao Zhang via Getty Images)

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The womens AO final promises to be a fascinating showdown between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, the two hardest-hitting players in the women's game. Yet they could barely be more different. Sabalenka is a snarling, shrieking presence on court, whereas Rybakina tends to be the picture of serenity.

You can watch Australian Open 2026 from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for FREE.

2026 Australian Open live streams: TV schedule, dates

AO 2026 runs from Sunday, January 18 to Sunday, February 1. Today's order of play below.
► Daily start time — 7 p.m. ET (previous day) / 12 a.m. GMT / 11 a.m. AEDT
• U.S. — ESPN Unlimited / ESPN & ESPN2 via Sling
• FREE STREAMS — 9Now (Australia)
• Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 100% risk free

Sabalenka has swatted aside all-comers with ease to become the first woman to reach four straight AO finals since Martina Hingis at the turn of the century. The top seed clinched the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in 2023 and 2024 but was stunned by Madison Keys in last year's final.

No.5 Rybakina is one of the few players with the requisite stature and power to go toe-to-toe with the Belarusian powerhouse. When she's on her game, the towering Kazakh is unplayable, and she's been on her game in Melbourne, winning every set and destroying Iga Swiatek along the way. She's also won six of her 11 hard-court encounters with Sabalenka to date.

Carlos Alcaraz will take on Novak Djokovic in the men's AO final final. Djokovic's bid for that elusive 25th major has been excruciating in all senses, and one way or another the struggle looks likely to end this year. The 38-year-old tennis great has left eight consecutive majors empty-handed and tore a thigh muscle in his semi-final at Melbourne Park 12 months ago.

However, fortune has smiled on him this week. After Jakub Mensik pulled out of their fourth-round meeting, Lorenzo Musetti was two sets up and cruising to victory when he had to retire with a thigh injury. Alcaraz, meanwhile, will become the youngest man to pull off the career grand slam if he manages to lay his hands on the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.

Here's how to watch Australian Open 2026 online and on TV — starting with free streaming options. We’ve also listed the order of play below so you don't miss a moment.

Australian Open order of play — Sat, Jan 31 - Sun, Feb 1

(All times ET)

Saturday, January 31
3:30 a.m. — Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs Elena Rybakina (5)

Sunday, February 1
3:30 a.m. — Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs Novak Djokovic (4)

Can I watch Australian Open 2026 free of charge?

Every Australian Open 2026 match is free-to-air in Australia courtesy of Channel 9 and 9Gem, with streaming available via the 9Now platform.

Just register an account using a valid Aussie postcode (e.g. NSW 2000).

Away from home? You may not be able to watch the action like you normally would due to regional restrictions. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution. Use a VPN to watch Australian Open 2026 for free — we’ll show you how below.

How to watch Australian Open 2026 from anywhere

Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the tennis on your usual subscription?

You can still watch Australian Open 2026 live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear as if they're back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market:

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you want to watch the free Australian Open coverage on 9Now, choose 'Australia' from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to 9Now, sign in, and watch Australian Open 2026 live.

How to watch Australian Open 2026 live streams in the U.S.

In the U.S., Australian Open 2026 is being shown across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Unlimited.

There are many way to tune in, but we recommend Sling TV because it's the most cost-efficient way of getting comprehensive Australian Open coverage.

The Sling Orange plan carries ESPN and ESPN2, and costs $5 per day, $10 for three days, $15/week, $46/month or $115/quarter.

Click through for more options ▼

Although Sling is the most cost-efficient option, it isn't the only cable TV alternative you can use.

ESPN's coverage is available to live stream on ESPN Unlimited, which costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year, but for a limited time you can bundle it with Disney Plus and Hulu for $29.99/month for 12 months, after which it'll cost $35.99/month.

Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV will let you tune in too.

How to watch Australian Open 2026 live streams in Canada

Canada flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

In Canada, Australian Open 2026 is being shown on TSN and TSN Plus, which grants access to everything TSN has to offer for just CA$8/month or CA$80/year.

If you're outside Canada but have a subscription, you can watch the tennis with the aid of a VPN, such as NordVPN.

How to watch Australian Open 2026 live streams in the U.K.

British flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

In the U.K., Australian Open 2026 is being shown on TNT Sports. Subscriptions for TNT Sports start at £18/month through Virgin Media or £25/month on Sky TV.

Alternatively, tennis fans can live stream TNT Sports via Discovery+, from £30.99/month.

Away from the U.K. right now? NordVPN will unblock your stream of the Australian Open.

How to watch Australian Open 2026 live streams in Australia

Australia flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

There are two ways to watch AO26 in Australia, including a FREE option.

As explained above, free-to-air Channel 9, 9Gem and 9Now are showing every single match live. All you need is an account with a valid Australian postcode (e.g. NSW 2000).

You can also live stream all the action in 4K and ad-free on Stan Sport. The service costs AU$20/month on top of a Stan plan, which itself starts at AU$12/month.

If you're on holiday outside Australia, you can still follow your usual AO26 live streams by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN.

Can I watch Australian Open 2026 in 4K UHD?

If you want to watch the Australian Open in 4K, you'll need Stan Sport. It offers ad-free coverage of every match on every court, with the Stan Sport add-on costing AU$20. You'll also need a Stan base plan, which starts at AU$12/month.

Australian Open seeds 2026

Men's seeds

1. Carlos Alcaraz

2. Jannik Sinner

3. Alexander Zverev

4. Novak Djokovic

5. Lorenzo Musetti

6. Alex de Minaur

7. Felix Auger-Aliassime

8. Ben Shelton

9. Taylor Fritz

10. Alexander Bublik

11. Daniil Medvedev

12. Casper Ruud

13. Andrey Rublev

14. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

15. Karen Khachanov

16. Jakub Mensik

17. Jiri Lehecka

18. Francisco Cerundolo

19. Tommy Paul

20. Flavio Cobolli

21. Denis Shapovalov

22. Luciano Darderi

23. Tallon Griekspoor

24. Arthur Rinderknech

25. Learner Tien

26. Cameron Norrie

27. Brandon Nakashima

28. Joao Fonseca

29. Frances Tiafoe

30. Valentin Vacherot

31. Stefanos Tsitsipas

32. Corentin Moutet

Women's seeds

1. Aryna Sabalenka

2. Iga Swiatek

3. Coco Gauff

4. Amanda Anisimova

5. Elena Rybakina

6. Jessica Pegula

7. Jasmine Paolini

8. Mirra Andreeva

9 Madison Keys

10. Belinda Bencic

11. Ekaterina Alexandrova

12. Elina Svitolina

13. Linda Noskova

14. Clara Tauson

15. Emma Navarro

16. Naomi Osaka

17. Victoria Mboko

18. Liudmila Samsonova

19. Karolina Muchova

20. Marta Kostyuk

21. Elise Mertens

22. Leylah Fernandez

23. Diana Shnaider

24. Jelena Ostapenko

25. Paula Badosa

26. Dayana Yastremska

27. Sofia Kenin

28. Emma Raducanu

29. Iva Jovic

30. Maya Joint

31. Anna Kalinskaya

32. Marketa Vondrousova

Australian Open session times 2026

Global Australian Open 2026 start times — Morning & evening sessions

USA (ET/PT): 7 p.m. / 4 p.m. (previous day) & 3 a.m. / 12 a.m.

UK: 12 a.m. & 8 a.m.

Australia (local): 11 a.m. & 7 p.m.

Australian Open schedule 2026

First round: Sun, Jan 18 — Tue, Jan 20
Second round: Wed, Jan 21 — Thu, Jan 22
Third round: Fri, Jan 23 — Sat, Jan 24
Fourth round: Sun, Jan 25 — Mon, Jan 26
Quarter-finals: Tue, Jan 27 — Wed, Jan 28
Women's semi-finals: Thu, Jan 29
Men's semi-finals: Fri, Jan 30
Women's final: Sat, Jan 31 (3:30 a.m. ET)
Men's final: Sun, Feb 1 (3:30 a.m. ET)

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Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Aatif is a freelance journalist and copywriter based in the UK. He’s written about technology, sport and politics for a wide range of publications including TechRadar, What Hi-Fi?, The Independent, Trusted Reviews, and Newsweek. These days, he focuses mainly on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: live TV and penny-pinching. When he's not attending a top-flight English soccer match, you can find him perfecting his table tennis skills.

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