The usual suspects and some bright new faces dazzled at last year’s French Open, so expectations at Stade Roland Garros are sky-high this fortnight. You can watch every serve with a 2021 French Open live stream no matter where in the world you are – read on for all the details and how you can watch the tennis including ways to see it absolutely FREE.
Watch French Open live stream 2021
Dates: Sunday, May 30 – Sunday, June 13
Day session start time: 11am CEST / 10am BST / 5am ET / 2pm PT / 7pm AEST / 9pm NZST
Night session start time: 9pm CEST / 8pm BST / 3pm ET / 12pm PT / 5am AEST / 7am NZST
Venue: Stade Roland Garros, Paris
FREE live stream: ITV Hub (UK) / 9Now (AUS)
Global live streams: NBCSN and Tennis Channel (also Sling TV and FREE fuboTV trial) (US) | TSN (CAN) | Sky Sport (NZ)
Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free
This year’s French Open gets underway with two of the greatest ever tennis players under pressure: Roger Federer having skipped the past three majors through injury, and Serena Williams looking for her first grand slam title since 2017.
Clay specialist Rafael Nadal won every set en route to equalling Federer’s record of 20 grand slam single titles here last year, but Iga Swiatek stole the show. The Polish youngster came out of nowhere to secure the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup – also without dropping a set – thrashing Simona Halep and Sofia Kenin along the way.
Men’s world No. 1 Novak Djokovic has only won one French Open but always looks tip-top, and he started this season in typically menacing fashion by winning February’s Australian Open.
Naomi Osaka missed last year’s French Open through injury, but looked unstoppable at the US and Australian Opens. However, it’s Ashleigh Barty who enters as top seed, in her first grand slam tournament appearance outside Australia since the 2019 US Open.
It’s the second grand slam of the year, and here’s how you can live stream French Open 2021 tennis action from wherever you are in the world.
Who has a free French Open tennis live stream in 2021?
Unlike with some tournaments (US Open, we’re looking at you!), tennis fans in some regions get lucky when it comes to Roland Garros, which is free-to-air in some countries around the world.
On UK TV, you can get a free French Open live stream courtesy of ITV4 and, more specifically, its ITV Hub streaming service – available either right through your web browser or as an app for mobiles, tablets, set-top boxes, select smart TVs, consoles and more. It can be used by anyone in the UK 100% free – registration takes seconds and you only need a working email address and full UK postcode (such as SW1A 1AA for Buckingham Palace) to get streaming.
If you prefer your coverage local, then French TV has you covered, too – specifically France TV Sport. It’s showing 11 hours of action each day (but will swerve the night sessions), with the only prerequisite being located in France – you don’t even have to register!
There’s even a free way to watch the French Open in Australia via Channel 9 and the 9Now streaming service – details below.
If you’d normally watch one of these options but can’t because you’re abroad right now, don’t sweat it. Just read on to find out how using one of the best VPNs is an easy way to take your favorite streaming services with you wherever you are – right now, ExpressVPN is the way to go.
How to watch a French Open live stream from outside your country
If you’re abroad during the French Open, you’ll likely find you’re unable to access your domestic tennis coverage like you would at home. This isn’t necessarily cause for alarm, but rather the result of geo-blocking – best understood as digital borders that restrict certain services and content to certain parts of the world.
Fortunately, there’s a convenient way around this in the form of a VPN. This is a nifty bit of software that lets you swerve around these digital borders, thereby allowing you to globe trot and still access your preferred Roland Garros live stream. It’s a completely legal workaround, very affordable, and super easy to use – allow us to explain more.
Use a VPN to watch a 2021 French Open live stream from anywhere
ExpressVPN – get the world’s best VPN
We’ve put all the major VPNs through their paces and we rate ExpressVPN as our top pick, thanks to its speed, ease of use and strong security features. It’s also compatible with just about any streaming device out there, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as Android and Apple mobiles.
Sign up for an annual plan now and get an extra 3 months absolutely FREE. And if you change your mind within the first 30 days, let them know and they’ll give you your money back without a quibble.
Once you’ve downloaded the software, just follow the prompts to install it then select the location you want to relocate your IP address to – it really is that easy.
Remember, there are loads of benefits to using a VPN beyond just helping you regain access to streaming services and content from abroad. One of the biggest is security: by using encrypted tunnels, streaming VPNs give you a robust first-line of defense against cybercriminals and government snooping. This makes everyday tasks like online shopping and banking much safer, and many people choose to use one for that reason alone.
How to watch a free French Open live stream in the UK
As usual, all the action from Roland Garros is being shown in the UK on ITV4, which means anyone can watch a French Open live stream using the channel’s ITV Hub platform. Just make sure you have a valid UK TV license, of course.
For added on-the-go viewing convenience, ITV Hub has an excellent app that’s available on nearly anything that plugs in these days – just give it a search on your device of choice.
Play typically starts at 10am BST each morning, and extends through the day and deep into the evening.
If you’re from the UK but not at home right now, you can still get your 2021 French Open fix by grabbing a VPN.
How to live stream French Open tennis for FREE in Australia
Once again, Aussie tennis fans can watch all of the French Open action without paying a penny thanks to Channel 9 and 9Gem, which are FREE to watch.
That means you can also fire up a French Open live stream on the 9Now streaming service, which is completely free to use too.
Die-hard tennis fans might want to take a look at Stan Sport, which is live streaming every match on every court, ad-free. A subscription costs $10 per month (on top of a $10 Stan sub), but you can take advantage of a 7-day FREE trial.
Play typically starts at 7pm AEST each evening, extending well into the early hours.
If you’re currently out of the country but want to watch a French Open live stream, you’ll need to get yourself a VPN.
How to watch the French Open: live stream Roland Garros 2021 tennis in the US
In the US, French Open coverage is split between NBC Sports and the Tennis Channel.
Play typically starts at 5am ET / 2am PT each morning, and extends into the late afternoon.
If you have NBC Sports on cable already, you’re all set and can watch the tennis from Roland Garros via the network’s website – just log-in with details of your cable provider.
If you don’t have cable don’t sweat it, you’ve still got plenty of options.
Of the many and varied options, the best for tennis fans wanting to watch a French Open live stream is Sling TV. The Sling TV Blue package costs just $35 a month and includes NBCSN.
But even better, Sling is currently offering new subscribers a fantastic bargain – right now you can save big bucks with this Sling TV deal, which lets you get a whole month of Sling Blue for a mere $10.
Throw in its Sports Extra add-on for an extra $11 a month to get the Tennis Channel and more and you’re done – for WAY less than cable!
Alternatively, fuboTV is an even more complete end-to-end cable replacement services, which offers both NBCSN and the Tennis Channel on plans starting from $64.99 a month for over 120 channels. And, better still, it offers a FREE FuboTV trial.
If you’re outside the US right now you can always use a VPN to get access to your home coverage.
How to live stream the French Open and watch tennis online in Canada
In Canada, you can watch the French Open on English-language TSN or French-language RDS – but 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 Roland Garros 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.
Play typically starts at 5am ET / 2am PT each morning, and extends into the late afternoon.
If you decide to subscribe or already have, remember you can take your favorite sports streaming service with you wherever you go – just try our No. 1 overall rated VPN 100% risk-free for 30-days and follow the instructions above.
How to watch the French Open: live stream tennis in New Zealand
Live French Open coverage in New Zealand comes courtesy of Sky Sport, which is available as part of a range of pay TV packages.
Subscribers can watch online using the country’s Sky Go service, while cord-cutters and anyone else can try the Sky Sport Now streaming-only platform – where a weekly pass costs just $19.99.
Play typically starts at 9pm NZST each evening, extending through the night and early hours, into the following morning.
Anyone in New Zealand from abroad or vice-versa can use the VPN route outlined earlier to access their preferred coverage just like they would at home.