How to Watch the US Open 2026: Free Options and TV Coverage
The US Open has slipped into its second round, and Day 5 is loaded. Alexander Zverev under the lights, Coco Gauff in prime time, Naomi Osaka back on a Grand Slam court. If you want to see it all, the routes are clear — and some of them won’t cost you a cent.
Where the US Open Lives on TV
In the United States, the tournament belongs to ESPN. That’s the anchor. Matches run across ESPN, ESPN2, the ESPN app and, at select times, ABC. If you’ve cut the cord, you’re not shut out — you just need a live TV or sports streaming package that carries those channels.
Here’s how the main options line up:
- DirecTV: The base package runs $59.99 for the first month and includes ABC and ESPN+.
- ESPN Unlimited: A direct route into ESPN’s live sports and archived programming from $29.99 per month.
- Fubo: Its Sports plan carries ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 at $65.99 per month, with a quarterly billing option available.
- Sling: The Essentials plan brings in ESPN and ESPN2 for $19.99 per month. For a short burst of tennis, there’s also a Sling TV Day Pass at $4.99.
- YouTube TV: The Sports Plan includes ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 at $64.99 per month.
That’s the paid landscape. But this is a major, and there are still ways to watch without locking into a long-term bill.
How to Watch the US Open for Free
In the US, free trials remain the easiest path. DirecTV, FuboTV and YouTube TV all offer trial periods that can carry you through a chunk of the tournament if you time it right.
The most intriguing option, though, sits on the other side of the world.
In Australia, 9Now is streaming the 2026 US Open for free. If you’re in the US, the UK or elsewhere and can’t grab a domestic trial, a virtual private network (VPN) can open that door. A VPN lets you connect to a server in another country and access content that would otherwise be geo-locked.
ExpressVPN, with servers scattered across the globe, is a popular choice for this kind of location spoofing. The process is straightforward:
- Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN such as ExpressVPN.
- Download the VPN app on your preferred device.
- Connect to a server based in Australia.
- Go to 9Now and start streaming the US Open coverage.
The best VPN services usually aren’t free, but many offer a trial window or money-back guarantee for first-time users. Use that wisely, and you can watch the tournament without paying beyond that initial test period.
One final technical tweak: for tennis, enabling your TV’s motion-smoothing setting can make the ball easier to track. Just remember to turn it off after the matches, unless you enjoy your dramas looking like a daytime soap.
Day 5: Osaka Early, Gauff and Zverev Late
Today’s play begins at 11 a.m. ET, and the schedule quickly ramps up.
On the women’s side, the spotlight falls on three time slots:
- 11:30 a.m. ET – Naomi Osaka vs. Kateřina Siniaková
- 12:40 p.m. ET – Alex Eala vs. Oleksandra Oliynykova
- 7 p.m. ET – Coco Gauff vs. Paula Badosa
Osaka’s return to the hard courts of New York always draws attention, and Siniaková will not make it easy. Gauff, cheered on by a home crowd, faces the shot-making and unpredictability of Badosa under the evening lights.
The men’s draw brings its own storylines:
- 11 a.m. ET – Félix Auger-Aliassime vs. Karen Khachanov
- 1 p.m. ET – Taylor Fritz vs. Mattia Bellucci
- 7 p.m. ET – Learner Tien vs. Gael Monfils
- 8:10 p.m. ET – Alexander Zverev vs. Quentin Halys
Auger-Aliassime against Khachanov offers early-round power hitting. Fritz carries American hopes in the afternoon. At night, the veteran flair of Monfils shares the stage with Zverev, the top seed in the field, who closes the day against Halys.
Three Weeks in Queens
The 2026 US Open stretches across three weeks at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, running from Sunday, August 23, to Sunday, September 13.
The structure is tight and unforgiving:
- Qualifying events: August 24–27
- Mixed doubles: August 24–26
- Men’s and women’s singles main draw: August 30–September 13
- Men’s and women’s doubles: September 3–12
- Junior events: September 3–12
- Wheelchair events: September 8–12
The business end of the fortnight is already ring-fenced:
- Women’s Doubles Final – Friday, September 11
- Women’s Singles Final and Men’s Doubles Final – Saturday, September 12
- Men’s Singles Final – Sunday, September 13
First played in 1881, the US Open stands as the second-oldest Grand Slam tournament, behind only Wimbledon. The history runs deep; the stakes remain as sharp as ever.
Who’s Chasing the Title?
The 2026 field is stacked. Seventeen former Grand Slam singles champions are in the draw, 10 of them past US Open winners. Experience is everywhere you look.
On the men’s side, there is one major absence: Jannik Sinner has been ruled out through injury. His withdrawal leaves the seeding topped by:
- Alexander Zverev (1)
- Carlos Alcaraz (2)
- Félix Auger-Aliassime (3)
The women’s draw is led by:
- Aryna Sabalenka (1)
- Elena Rybakina (2)
- Jessica Pegula (3)
The United States sends a powerful contingent, with 28 players in the main draw — more than any other nation. Beyond Pegula, the home charge includes Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and the evergreen Venus Williams.
The stage is set: a deep field, packed stands, and three relentless weeks in New York. With so many contenders and so many storylines, who walks out of Queens with the last Grand Slam title of 2026?
