It’s men’s semi-finals day today at the 2020 US Open, and as Flushing Meadows isn’t welcoming fans to its annual tennis shindig his year, there’s only one way to watch the US Open as the action comes to a head. On court at Arthur Ashe Stadium this Friday we’ll see Pablo Carreno Busta vs Alexander Zverev, followed by Daniil Medvedev vs Dominic Thiem, with the title now very much up for grabs following Novak Djokovic’s disqualification. Then it’s on to a mouthwatering women’s singles final as Serena Williams’ conquerer Victoria Azarenka takes on favorite Naomi Osaka. Read on as our guide explains everything you need to know to watch the US Open on TV or online today and live stream tennis wherever you are today and this weekend for the men’s semi-finals and women’s singles finals.
2020 US Open live stream
The 2020 US Open takes place at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York from Monday, August 31 to Sunday, September 13. Play initially starts at 11am ET/8am PT time each day, but this changes on September 8, when we switch to 12pm ET/9am PT starts. Full US Open tennis live streaming and TV channel details are below – and you can watch your preferred coverage from anywhere with this 100% risk-free ExpressVPN trial.
While the US Open boasted an impressive draw in both the men’s and women’s singles from the off, some of the world’s biggest players weren’t competing this year – namely Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and reigning 2019 US Open women’s singles champion Bianca Andreescu.
In fact, only four of the current top 10 women’s singles players took part at this year’s tournament, with current World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and World No. 2 Simona Halep also missing out in addition to Andreescu. Making up for their absence was a chance to see more of 16-year-old phenom Coco Gauff and appreciate the talents of 21-year-old Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin – though both have since crashed out.
On the men’s side of the tournament, Novak Djokovic was the clear favourite to win his 18th career Grand Slam this September until….well, until he smacked a line judge with a ball hit in frustration after losing a point and and sealed his immediate ejection from the tournament. As rulings go, it was completely by the book according to ATP and WTA Tour rules – if a bit harsh the more you analyzed the replays. Still, he’s in good company, with reformed British bad boy Tim Henman among the other players to have earned themselves automatic disqualification for such naught antics.
It leaves the men’s draw wide open now with rising stars such as Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, and 2019 finalist Daniil Medvedev all now eyeing up a chance to win a Grand Slam. Don’t miss a second of the action – here’s how to get a 2020 US Open live stream and watch tennis online wherever you are right now.
How to watch a US Open live stream from outside your country
For broadcast and streaming details in tennis-mad countries like the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, just scroll down the page – everything you need to know is there.
But if you try to watch your domestic coverage from somewhere outside your home country, you’ll soon find a problem – geo-blocking. That’s where the broadcaster prevents you from watching your usual feed from abroad. It’s a common problem for sports fans all over the world.
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How to watch the US Open: live stream the 2020 tennis Grand Slam in America
In the US, coverage from Flushing Meadows comes courtesy of ESPN and ESPN 2. The action kicks off at either 11am or 12pm ET (8am / 9am PT) each day and typically runs until around 11pm ET (8pm PT) at the latest. Another option for cable customers is the Tennis Channel, which also has rights to the tournament.
Both of these are cable-based services, though, so in order to watch the US Open online you’ll need to be a paying customer. Or have a good over-the-top streaming service that gives you access to the same channels for a fraction of the price!
Of the many and varied options, the best for tennis fans wanting to watch a US Open live stream is Sling TV, whose Sling Orange package features ESPN channels for just $30 a month. Throw in its Sports Extra add-on for an extra $10 a month to get the Tennis Channel and more – and you’re done for just $40 p/m . That’s much less than the competition and WAY less than cable!
Best of all, Sling offers a FREE trial period so you can get a free tennis live stream for some of the tournament and check out the service for yourself.
New or existing subscribers to US streaming services can still access the platform of their choice from abroad, too – all you need is the help of a good VPN.
How to live stream the US Open and watch tennis online in Canada
In Canada, you can watch the US Open on English-language TSN or French-language RDS – but again, they’re premium channels that typically come with a pay TV package.
If you get them as part of your cable deal, then you’ll just be able to log in with the details of your provider and get access to a US Open live stream.
If you don’t have cable, then you can subscribe to TSN or RDS on a streaming-only basis from just CA$4.99 a day or (much better value) $19.99 a month.
And if you decide to subscribe or already have, remember you can take your favorite sports streaming service with you wherever you go – just try the No. 1 VPN around 100% risk-free for 30-days and follow the instructions above.
How to watch the US Open tennis: UK live stream details
Try Amazon Prime FREE for 30-days
Amazon again has the rights to broadcast the US Open tennis in the UK, so Amazon Prime members can live stream all the action at no additional cost, with play starting at 4pm BST each day initially, then switching to 5pm on September 8.
If you want to stream the tennis from your phone or tablet, the Amazon Prime Video app is available for Android via Google Play and Apple devices via the App Store.
Amazon Prime membership costs £79 per year or £7.99 per month, which can be cancelled at any time. The subscription will get you access to Amazon’s library of TV shows and films as well as unlimited one-day delivery on Amazon orders from the UK.
New users can sign up for a FREE 30-day Amazon Prime trial with full access to live sports coverage as well as free one-day delivery on purchases from Amazon’s online store during that time.
Not in the UK but still want to watch the tennis on your Prime account? Your best option is to download and install a VPN and then log in to a UK IP address.
How to live stream the US Open 2020 and watch tennis online in Australia
To watch the US Open, all you really need to know is that ESPN has the rights to live stream tennis in Australia and will be broadcasting the 2020 tournament.
The channel is available on pay TV courtesy of Foxtel and the action generally starts Down Under at 1am AEST each day.
This is actually great news for cord cutters, as Aussie streaming service Kayo Sports includes ESPN coverage in its packages. A Kayo Sports Basic Package costs $25 per month and allows users to stream across two devices simultaneously, while a Kayo Sports Premium Package provides three concurrent streams for $35 per month.
Needless to say, this makes it super-affordable if you share with friends, family or fellow tennis fans – plus Kayo offers a FREE trial period so you can watch some of the event for free this August.
Better still, free-to-air SBS Viceland will also get in on the action from Wednesday, September 9, which is when play switches to a 2am start. This means that Aussie viewers can make use of the free SBS On Demand streaming service to tune in.
If you’re away from Australia at the moment, you’ll need to go down the VPN route as set out above.
The best way to live stream the US Open in New Zealand
In New Zealand you’re going to be able to catch all the action on ESPN, although again, this is a paid service.
Play initially gets underway at 3am NZST, but this switches to 4am on Wednesday, September 9.
If you want to catch the US Open action but are out of New Zealand over the fortnight, you can use a VPN to access the tennis coverage.
Who won last year’s US Open?
Last year’s singles winners were Rafael Nadal in the men’s and Canadian Bianca Andreescu in the women’s. Both players have pulled out of the 2020 US Open because of concerns related to the second nastiest C-word around – however, there will still be a few former champions on the courts of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center over the next two weeks.
Novak Djokovic has won the US Open three times, most recently in 2018 when he beat Juan Martín del Potro in the final. The only other two former champions in the running on the men’s side though are Marin Čilić and Andy Murray, though past finalists Kevin Anderson and Daniil Medvedev are playing, too.
It’s a different story on the women’s side, with former US Open winners Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters, Vera Zvonareva, Victoria Azarenka, Karolína Plíšková and Madison Keys all in the mix.
How long is the US Open and how does it work?
The 2020 US Open starts on Monday, August 31 and concludes two weeks later, on Sunday, September 13.
The women’s singles final is set to take place on Saturday, September 12, beginning at 4pm ET/1pm PT/9pm BST. The men’s singles final starts at the same time the following day, and brings the tournament to a close.
The first eight days of the tournament are earmarked for Rounds 1-3 and the Round of 16, during which the top seeds will be kept separate from one another. The quarter-finals stage begins on Tuesday, September 8, and it’s from this point onwards that the big guns will face each other and the true contenders will emerge.
What happened with the other 2020 Grand Slams?
It feels like a long time ago, but we have already had one tennis Grand Slam this year – the 2020 Australian Open back in January. Sofia Kenin and Novak Djokovic were victorious in Melbourne, and both will play in New York.
Wimbledon, sadly, had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, but the clay court French Open, which was originally supposed to be held in May and early June, looks set to go ahead almost immediately after the US Open, from September 21 to October 11.