ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC hold the exclusive US broadcast rights, and every match streams live through the ESPN App for anyone with an ESPN Unlimited subscription. That works well if you’re at home. It doesn’t work at all if you’re traveling outside the country, because ESPN’s streaming service is geo-locked to US IP addresses. The workaround is straightforward: connect through a VPN to a US server, and your ESPN account behaves exactly as it does from your living room. Here’s the fastest way to do it.
- Get a NordVPN subscription and install the app on your phone, tablet, or laptop.
- Open the app and connect to a server located in Australia.
- Head to 9Now, Australia’s free streaming service, and sign up for a free account.
- Watch the US Open quarterfinals, semifinals, and final live for free with English commentary from anywhere in the world.
What’s Happening at the US Open Right Now
The main draw at Flushing Meadows kicked off on August 30, and the tournament has already produced a chaotic bracket. Twenty of the thirty-two men’s seeds and eighteen of the thirty-two women’s seeds were out before the round of sixteen even started. Novak Djokovic lost in the first round, Taylor Fritz let a two-set lead slip in five, and Daniil Medvedev went out to Frances Tiafoe.
The remaining schedule runs like this. The women’s quarterfinals continue today with Elina Rybakina against Qinwen Zheng at 11:30 a.m. ET, followed by Coco Gauff against fifth seed Mirra Andreeva no earlier than 12:30 p.m. ET. On the men’s side, Karen Khachanov takes on Alexander Blockx at 2 p.m. ET, and top seed Alexander Zverev closes out the day against Botic van de Zandschulp in the evening. Ben Shelton is already through to the semifinals after upsetting Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set thriller on Tuesday. The women’s semifinals take place Thursday, the men’s semifinals and women’s final are Friday and Saturday, and the men’s championship closes out the tournament on Sunday, September 13. That gives you a solid five-day window of live tennis still ahead.
Where to Watch the US Open in the US
Domestic coverage is split across three ESPN networks and one ABC broadcast slot. Daytime quarterfinal action airs on ESPN and ESPN2 from 11:30 a.m. ET, with primetime coverage on ESPN starting at 7 p.m. ET. Spanish-language commentary runs on ESPN Deportes across the same windows. The men’s final on Sunday, September 13, moves to ABC in addition to ESPN Deportes.
Every match streams through the ESPN App, but you need an ESPN Unlimited subscription or a compatible cable login to unlock it. If you don’t already subscribe, several live TV services carry ESPN and ESPN2 as part of their base plans and offer free trials that comfortably cover the remaining rounds. Fubo, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, Sling TV Orange, and Hulu + Live TV all include the ESPN family. Free trial lengths vary between five and seven days depending on the service, which is enough to see the quarterfinals through the final if you sign up now.
How to Watch the US Open for Free From Anywhere
Here’s where the geographic loophole works in your favor. Several countries broadcast the US Open on free-to-air channels that also offer free streaming platforms, and a VPN gives you access to those platforms from anywhere in the world. The single best option is 9Now in Australia. Channel Nine broadcasts selected US Open matches every day for free, and the same coverage streams live and on-demand through 9Now with English commentary. The service is free to sign up for, works entirely in your browser, and covers every remaining round including the finals.
The catch is geographic: 9Now checks your IP address to confirm you’re in Australia. That’s exactly the problem a VPN is built to solve. Install NordVPN, connect to any of its Australian servers, sign up for a free 9Now account, and every remaining US Open match streams live and free. If Australia servers ever get congested, SuperTennis in Italy is the second free option, though the commentary is in Italian rather than English.
US residents have a couple of extra free routes even without a VPN. ABC broadcasts the men’s final on Sunday, September 13 over the air, which means an antenna gets you the championship match for nothing. Sling TV also currently sells a $14.99 week pass that includes ESPN and covers the entire back half of the tournament, which is cheaper than a full month of any live TV service if you only care about the tennis.
Watch the US Open Free With NordVPN
Why NordVPN Fits Best for Streaming Live Sports
Live sports are the hardest test for a VPN. A single dropped connection at match point, a stutter during a Gauff return, or a lag on a Zverev serve turns the whole thing into a bad experience. The two things that matter for streaming are raw server speed and how well the provider’s US servers hold up under load, and NordVPN handles both.
The service runs on the NordLynx protocol, built on WireGuard, which is currently the fastest widely-deployed VPN protocol on the market. It has more than 1,900 servers in the United States alone, which means finding one that isn’t congested during a major sporting event is straightforward. Encryption is AES-256 for OpenVPN and IKEv2 connections, and the no-logs policy has been independently audited multiple times. NordVPN’s core VPN service is also part of why it consistently appears near the top of most best VPN guides focused on streaming performance rather than just privacy.
The apps run on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV, and Apple TV. You can also install NordVPN on your router to cover every device at once, which matters if you plan to watch on a smart TV that doesn’t natively support VPN apps.
NordVPN Basic at $3.49 per Month
NordVPN’s Basic plan is currently available at $3.49/month, which works out to $94.23 billed once for 27 months of service (24 + 3 free). That is a 69% discount off the standard rate. Annual renewal continues at $139.08/year, cancelable from the account dashboard at any time.
The plan covers the core VPN across up to 10 devices with applications for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, browser extensions, and router installation for whole-household coverage. That’s enough to cover your phone, laptop, and living room TV at the same time, which is exactly what you want during a five-day stretch of tennis.
Get NordVPN Basic at $3.49/month
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
NordVPN backs every plan with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If the service doesn’t fit the way you use your devices, you can request a full refund within the first month. Refunds are processed through 24/7 chat support, and funds typically return within 5 to 10 business days depending on the payment method used.
Practically, that gives you the entire back half of the tournament and then some to try the service. Install the apps, connect to a US server, test the ESPN App or your streaming service of choice, and see whether the connection holds up through the final on Sunday. A note on the subscription: the $3.49/month rate applies to the first 27 months. Auto-renewal kicks in at the standard annual rate after that. If you would rather cancel or renegotiate before renewal, set a reminder in your calendar 7 to 10 days before the renewal date.