How to Watch the 2026 US Open: Streaming Options and Schedule
The US Open has slipped into its second round, and Day 5 is stacked. Alexander Zverev, Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, Félix Auger-Aliassime – the names alone tell you what kind of Friday this is in Queens.
But before the first ball is tossed on the hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the other battle begins: figuring out how to actually watch it.
How to Watch the 2026 US Open – With or Without Cable
In the United States, the US Open belongs to ESPN. That’s the anchor. Matches run across ESPN, ESPN2, the ESPN app, and selected windows on ABC, so any setup you choose has to cover those bases.
If you still have cable or satellite and those channels in your package, you’re set. Everyone else needs to lean on streaming.
- DirecTV: The base streaming package starts at $59.99 for the first month and includes ABC and ESPN+.
- ESPN Unlimited: ESPN’s own streaming option, with live sports and archived programming, starts at $29.99 per month.
- Fubo: The Sports plan carries ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 at $65.99 per month, with a quarterly billing option for those who prefer to commit in chunks.
- Sling: The Essentials plan offers ESPN and ESPN2 for $19.99 per month, and there’s a Sling TV Day Pass at $4.99 if you only care about a single day’s play.
- YouTube TV: Its Sports Plan includes ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 at $64.99 per month.
Pick one, log in, and Flushing Meadows is in your living room.
Watching the US Open for Free in the US
If you’re not ready to pay, there’s still a window.
Several live TV streamers dangle free trials, and they can easily cover a heavy day or more of the tournament:
- DirecTV free trial
- FuboTV free trial
- YouTube TV free trial
Sign up, watch the tennis, and decide later if it’s worth keeping.
The other route comes from the other side of the world. In Australia, 9Now is streaming the 2026 US Open for free. For viewers in the US, UK, or elsewhere who can’t use a domestic trial, a virtual private network (VPN) can be the key to that feed.
Using a VPN to Access 9Now’s Free US Open Stream
A solid VPN lets you connect to a server in another country and unlock geo-restricted content. For the US Open, that means appearing to be in Australia so you can use 9Now.
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 located in Australia.
- Go to 9Now and start streaming the US Open.
Top-tier VPNs usually charge a subscription fee, but many offer free trials to first-time users. Time it right and you can ride that trial through a chunk of the tournament without paying anything.
However you watch, one small but useful technical note: turn on your TV’s motion-smoothing option if you like ultra-fluid sports viewing. Just remember to switch it off afterward unless you enjoy your movies looking like daytime soap operas.
Today’s Headliners: US Open Schedule for September 2
Day 5 starts at 11 a.m. ET, with the courts filling quickly and the marquee names scattered across the schedule.
Women’s Singles – Round Two
- 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
Men’s Singles – Round Two
- 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
From Osaka’s return to Gauff under the lights and Zverev anchoring the night session, it’s a day built for channel-hopping and second screens.
The 2026 US Open: Three Weeks in Queens
The US Open stretches across three intense weeks in late August and early September, once again staged at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.
For 2026, the tournament runs from Sunday, August 23 to Sunday, September 13.
The structure is familiar but packed:
- Qualifying events: August 24–27
- Men’s and women’s singles main draw: August 30–September 13
- Mixed doubles: August 24–26
- 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 circled in bold:
- 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 staged in 1881, the US Open is the second-oldest Grand Slam tournament, trailing only Wimbledon. The history is heavy, the stakes even heavier.
Who’s Playing: A Draw Loaded with Champions
The 2026 field is deep and decorated. Seventeen former Grand Slam singles champions are in the draw, ten of them past US Open winners.
On the men’s side, there’s one notable absence: Jannik Sinner has been ruled out through injury. His withdrawal reshapes the top of the seeding.
The leading men:
- Alexander Zverev (1)
- Carlos Alcaraz (2)
- Félix Auger-Aliassime (3)
On the women’s side, the top of the draw is just as sharp:
- Aryna Sabalenka (1)
- Elena Rybakina (2)
- Jessica Pegula (3)
The United States sends the largest contingent with 28 players in the main draw. Alongside Pegula, the home hopes rest on a powerful core: Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, and Venus Williams among them.
It’s a field built for drama. The question now isn’t whether something memorable will happen in Queens over these three weeks.
It’s who will be standing on the second Sunday, holding the trophy while the rest of the sport takes notice.
