Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune live stream and how to watch US Open tennis online
The first round Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune live stream finds the Serbian ace going for his fourth Grand Slam in a year
It’s time for the Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune live stream, and even though it seems like a given that Djokovic will advance, all eyes will be on his health.
Such is life when history can be written. It's been 33 years since the last time we saw someone win all four Grand Slam tournaments in a year, and so we tune in to see if Djokovic can enter the hollowed grounds that Steffi Graf last walked in, as he plays his first 2021 US Open live steam.
The Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune live stream should begin at around 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST today (August 31).
• U.S. — Watch on ESPN via Sling or Fubo.TV
• U.K. — Watch on Amazon Prime Video
• Watch anywhere — try ExpressVPN 100% risk free
The achievement is so rare that each winner is mostly well-spaced apart, Margaret Court (1970) 18 years before Graf, Rod Laver twice in the decade prior (1962 and 1969), Maureen Connolly in 1953 and Don Budge in 1938. In 2015 and 2016, Djokovic managed to take a similar, but not equal feat, taking all four tournaments in total over two seasons.
This is the first-ever matchup between Djokovic and Rune, who have a 16-year age gap between them. Rune is the 145th ranked male tennis player in the world, while Djokovic is #1. It's hard to see Rune winning, but we don't know what shape his opponent is entering in.
Yes, 2021 was great for Djokovic, taking Wimbledon in nearly too-easy form, and the Australian and French Opens before that, he's coming off of a nasty set of losses. Djokovic left the 2021 Tokyo Olympics without a single medal, falling to Pablo Carreno Busta in the bronze medal match, after losing to Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.
Then, he exited from the bronze medal mixed doubles match, suffering a shoulder injury. Following that, he opted to skip the Western & Southern Open. One wonders if he's been reserving his energy for the US Open.
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Or, more importantly, if he's fully healed. Djokovic's shoulder injury details have not been given out, so we're not clear on if he's going to be playing at 100% or not. That could be the key to his chances at the US Open.
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Here's how to watch Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune online:
How to watch Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune live streams from anywhere on Earth
If you've had to leave your own "bubble" -- or you've been hit by a dreaded local blackout -- and you can't watch the Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune live streams on cable, you're not out of luck. With a virtual private network, or VPN, you can appear to be surfing the web from your home town, and access the same streaming services you already paid for — which is a big deal when the BBC just gives it away for free.
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Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune live streams in the US
In the U.S., the Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune live stream is today (August 31) at around 7 p.m. ET. It's on ESPN.
US Open matches are spread across the ESPN family of networks, as well as stream on ESPN3, ESPN Plus and the ESPN app. There is also coverage on the Tennis Channel.
If you cut the cord, you can get all of those channels from Sling TV (via Sling Orange) or Fubo TV's entry-level package. Both are on our best streaming services list, but tennis fans who also love basketball won't want to go with Fubo, as it doesn't have TNT. Tennis Channel can be added on with the Sports Extra (Sling) and Sports Plus (Fubo) packages, which are $11 per month.
Fubo.TV: One of the best streaming services for sports fans, and the top pick for watching all of the 2021 NFL live streams, Fubo has all of the right network channels and the two cable channels you don't want to go without. Who needs cable? Not Fubo subscribers. It's got a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay up front.
Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune live streams in the UK
Unlike with Wimbledon, U.K. fans have to stay up late for this one. Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune, which is available on Amazon Prime Video will start no earlier than 12 a.m. BST.
Prime Video is included with Amazon Prime, which is £79 per year.
Anyone from the U.K. who wants to watch from abroad can get their hookup by using a VPN.
Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune live streams in Canada
Tennis fans in Canada just need TSN for the Novak Djokovic vs Holger Rune live stream. The service can be subscribed to ala-carte or added to your package. It starts at around 7 p.m. ET.
TSN1 should be the channel you're looking for, though additional coverage that night is on TSN3 and TSN5.
TSN's streaming-only service starts at $19.99 CAD per month, a much better deal than its $4.99 CAD per day option.
Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.