Where to watch the Australian Open for free: Men’s and women’s singles schedule

The Australian Open will kick off the 2026 major tennis tournaments starting on January 11. Jannik Sinner is aiming for a treble on the men’s side, while Aryna Sabalenkova looks set to win her third title in four years.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch the Australian Open 2026:

Where to watch Australian Open 2026

The Australian Open will be broadcast primarily on ESPN and ESPN2, with coverage also available on ESPN+. Here are the best streaming options to watch, including DIRECTV and Fuboboth of which offer free trials.

Australian Open 2026 schedule

*The schedule is for men’s and women’s singles

Qualifying Rounds: 11.-17. January | CURRENT

1-3 wheels: 18-23 January | CURRENT

Round 16: January 24 | CURRENT

quarter finals: January 25 | CURRENT

Semifinal: 27-28 January | CURRENT

Women’s Final: January 31 | CURRENT

Men’s Final: February 1 | CURRENT

Keep in mind that Melbourne is 16 hours ahead of Eastern time, which means some games will be in the middle of the night in the United States. For example, both the men’s and women’s finals began at 3:30 ET in 2025. This also means that some matches will start on one day and end on another in ET.

Here’s a recent tennis story from the Associated Press:

Novak Djokovic pulled out of the Australian Open tune-up tournament in Adelaide, saying on Monday he was not ready to return to competition before the year’s first Grand Slam event.

“To all my fans in Adelaide, unfortunately I am not physically ready to compete at the Adelaide International next week,” Djokovic wrote on social media. “It’s a big disappointment for me personally because I have great memories of winning the title there two years ago. I was really excited to come back because it really felt like playing at home.”

Djokovic, a 38-year-old with a record 24 major singles championships, has not played an official match in almost two months. He defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the final of the Greek Championships in Athens on 8 November, then announced that he would be withdrawn from the ATP Finals for the second consecutive year, citing a shoulder injury.

“I am now focused on preparing for the Australian Open,” Djokovic wrote on Monday, “and I look forward to arriving in Melbourne soon and meeting all the tennis fans in Australia.”

The main draw at Melbourne Park begins on January 18.

Djokovic has won the hard-court major that opens the Grand Slam season a record 10 times, including the most recent in 2023.

He has retired in the semifinals each of the last two years, including being forced out after one set against Alexander Zverev in that round in 2025 due to a torn hamstring.

Djokovic reached the semifinals at all four majors last season.

He starts this season ranked fourth, behind Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Zverev.

Adelaide’s withdrawal comes a day after Djokovic announced he would sever ties with the Tennis Professionals Association, a group he co-founded that sued the sport’s governing bodies last year in a bid to win more money and influence for athletes.