The 2021 Australian Open takes place Feb. 8 through Feb. 22. Television coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET and is airing on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPN Plus.
The Australian Open live stream 2021 is underway. The year's first Grand Slam tournament brings together the world's top tennis stars, including Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
For American viewers, the 16-hour time difference meant that the first matches of the 2021 Australian Open kicked off after the Super Bowl on Sunday night. Play continues for two weeks, until the women's final on Feb. 20 and the men's final on Feb. 22.
- The best and worst Super Bowl commercials 2021
- New TV shows airing this month
- The 63 best Netflix shows to watch next
The 2021 Australian Open is adhering to health guidelines in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Because Australia has mounted an effective response that has largely contained COVID-19, the event is welcoming spectators. Players quarantined for two weeks prior to the tournament.
Some of tennis' biggest stars are competing, including Williams, who is once again attempting to win her 24th Grand Slam singles title. That would tie her with Margaret Court for the record. She'll have to get past last year's U.S. Open winner Naomi Osaka and the top seed Ashleigh Barty, who is returning to play after sitting out most of 2020 due to the pandemic.
On the men's side, top seed Novak Djokovic is going for his ninth Australian Open title. And if No. 2 Rafael Nadal nets his 21st Grand Slam, he'll move past Roger Federer in all-time wins (Federer is not playing as he's recovering from surgery).
Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the 2021 Australian Open live stream.
How to watch 2021 Australian Open live stream with a VPN
If you're away from home and can't watch the 2021 Australian Open live stream from where you are, you can still get watch with a virtual private network, or VPN. A VPN makes it so that you can appear to be surfing the web from your home town, so you can access the same streaming services you already paid for.
Not sure which VPN is right for you? We've tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN. It offers superb speeds and excellent customer service.
Exclusive Tom's Guide Discount: Save 49% on the 12-month ExpressVPN plan
How to watch the 2021 Australian Open live stream in the US
In the U.S., the 2021 Australian Open coverage airs daily through Feb. 8 through Feb. 21.
Early coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and ESPN3 on the app. Primary coverage starts at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 with big matches scheduled for ESPN.
If you have cut the cord and don't have cable, you can still watch the 2021 Australian Open via two live TV services: Fubo TV and Sling TV.
Of these options, we recommend Fubo TV, which is $65 per month for more than 117 channels. Sports fans will find a number of niche sports channels among its lineup. Another great option is Sling TV, which is $35 per month and comes with more than 50 channels including ESPN.
Australian Open 2021 live stream in the UK
British tennis fans can watch the 2021 Australian Open on Eurosport, which is available with packages on Sky TV. Or they can sign up for the Eurosport Player pass (£9.99 per month or £39.99 per year).
Daytime matches start at midnight GMT, while evening match coverage begins at 8 a.m. GMT.
Australian Open 2021 live stream in Canada
In Canada, viewers can tune into the 2021 Australian Open on TSN or the French-language network RDS, if they come with their cable packages. They can sign up for streaming-only TSN for $4.99 CAD per month.
Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET.
Australian Open 2021 live stream in Australia
Aussies are in luck — the tournament is airing in their own country for free, via Channel 9. Plus, they can watch the Australian Open live stream online with the 9Now streaming service by registering with an email and local ZIP code.
Day sessions begin at 11 a.m. AEDT, while evening sessions start at 7 p.m. AEDT.
Aussies who are out of the country can still access their 9Now subscription with ExpressVPN.
Australian Open 2021 draw
The full Australian Open draws for men and women's singles, doubles and mixed doubles can be found at the tournament's website.
The top four seeds for men's singles are:
1. Novak Djokovic
2. Rafael Nadal
3. Dominic Thiem
4. Daniil Medvedev
The top four seeds for women's singles are:
1. Ashleigh Barty
2. Simona Halep
3. Naomi Osaka
4. Sofia Kenin
Australian Open 2021 schedule
The 2021 Australian Open takes place from Monday, Feb. 8 through Sunday, Feb. 21.
Here is the schedule of rounds, with TV channels and start times:
| Date | Round | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Feb. 7 | First round | 7 p.m. - 7 a.m. | ESPN, ESPN2 |
| Monday, Feb. 8 | First round | 7 p.m. - 7 a.m. | ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+ |
| Tuesday, Feb. 9 | Second round | 7 p.m. - 7 a.m. | ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+ |
| Wednesday, Feb. 10 | Second round | 7 p.m. - 7 a.m | ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+ |
| Thursday, Feb. 11 | Third Round | 7 p.m. - 7 a.m | ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+ |
| Friday, Feb. 12 | Third Round | 7 p.m. - 7 a.m | ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+ |
| Saturday, Feb. 13 | Round of 16 | 7 p.m. - 7 a.m | ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+ |
| Sunday, Feb. 14 | Round of 16 | 7 p.m. - 7 a.m | ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+ |
| Monday, Feb. 15 | Quarterfinals | 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. | ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+ |
| Tuesday, Feb. 16 | Quarterfinals | 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. | ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+ |
| Wednesday, Feb. 17 | Women's semifinals; Men's doubles final | 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. | ESPN2 |
| Thursday, Feb. 18 | Men's semifinals; Women's doubles final | 3:30 a.m. - 6 a.m. | ESPN, ESPN+ |
| Friday, Feb. 19 | Mixed doubles semis; Women's doubles final | 12 a.m. | ESPN+ |
| Row 13 - Cell 0 | Men's semifinals | 3:30 a.m. - 6 a.m. | ESPN |
| Saturday, Feb. 20 | Women's final | 3:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m | ESPN |
| Row 15 - Cell 0 | Men's doubles final | 11 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sunday, Feb. 21 | Men's final | 3:30 a.m. - 6:30 a.m. | ESPN |
- The best streaming devices to watch shows and sports
