It’s been coming ever since the draw was made, and the time has arrived for a fresh chapter in one of the most legendary rivalries in sport to be written on la terre battue, as Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic fight for a place in the 2021 Roland Garros final. It’s a match that never disappoints, so read on as we explain how to watch French Open tennis online and get a Nadal vs Djokovic live stream wherever you are right now – including ways to see it absolutely FREE.
Nadal vs Djokovic live stream 2021
Date: Friday, June 11
Time: No earlier than 5.30pm CEST / 4.30pm BST / 11.30am ET / 8.30am PT / 1.30am AEST / 3.30am NZST
Venue: Court Philippe-Chatrier, Stade Roland Garros, Paris
FREE live stream: ITV Hub (UK) / 9Now (AUS)
Global live streams: Tennis Channel via Sling TV or FREE fuboTV trial (US) | TSN (CAN) | Sky Sport (NZ)
Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free
No two tennis players have crossed rackets more often than Nadal and Djokovic, but such is their level that every match they play still feels like a rare treat. Djokovic shades their head-to-head 29-28, but on clay Nadal is dominant, with 19 wins to just seven losses.
The Serb, however, is one of only two men to have beaten the King of Clay at Roland Garros, but that victory came at the cost of seven defeats.
All five of their most recent clashes have come in finals, one of those a straight-sets victory for Nadal at Roland Garros last year, so it’s somewhat surprising to see them face off without a trophy immediately on the line.
Their French Open semi-final clash in 2013 was one of the greatest matches of all time, and expectations couldn’t be higher for this one. Watch all the drama unfold as it happens by following our Nadal vs Djokovic live stream guide to watch French Open 2021 tennis online today.
Who has a free Nadal vs Djokovic live stream in 2021?
Roland Garros is free-to-air in some countries around the world, which means you can watch this French Open encounter for free:
UK – ITV4 and ITV Hub streaming service
France – France TV Sport
Australia – Channel 9 and 9Now streaming service
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 Nadal vs Djokovic live stream from outside your country
If you’re abroad right now, you’ll likely find you’re unable to access your domestic French Open 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 Nadal vs Djokovic live stream. It’s a completely legal workaround, very affordable, and super easy to use – allow us to explain more.
Use a VPN to live stream Nadal vs Djokovic 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 Nadal vs Djokovic FREE: live stream French Open in the UK
In the UK, you can watch Nadal vs Djokovic for FREE on ITV4, which is showing the French Open action from morning until night on each and every day of the tournament.
This match is set to get underway no earlier than 4.30pm BST.
You can also get a FREE French Open live stream via 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.
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.
Nadal vs Djokovic: live stream French Open tennis FREE in Australia
You can watch Nadal vs Djokovic FREE courtesy of Channel 9. That means you can also fire up a French Open live stream on the 9Now streaming service, which is completely free to use too.
The bad news is that it’s a really late start, with the match set to get underway at 1.30am AEST on Friday night/Saturday morning.
You can tune in via a Stan Sport subscription too, but why pay if you can watch for free? Well, it’s a good option for die-hard tennis fans, as it’s streaming streaming Nadal vs Djokovic along with 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.
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 Nadal vs Djokovic: live stream French Open 2021 tennis in the US
In the US, you can watch Nadal vs Djokovic on the Tennis Channel, with the match set to get underway at 11.30am ET / 8.30am PT.
The Tennis Channel and NBC Sports are splitting 2021 French Open coverage between them, with each network showing different days and sessions.
If you don’t have either of them on cable, the best option for a French Open live stream is Sling TV‘s Blue package, which costs $35 a month and includes NBCSN. But right now you can 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 Nadal vs Djokovic: watch French Open tennis online in Canada
In Canada, you can watch Nadal vs Djokovic on TSN, with the match set to get underway at 11.30am ET / 8.30am PT on Friday morning.
TSN is your home for all of the big Roland Garros action, and if you get it as part of your cable deal, you can also live stream Nadal vs Djokovic simply by logging in with the details of your provider.
But even if you don’t have cable, you can still live stream Nadal vs Djokovic if you subscribe to TSN on a streaming-only basis from just CA$4.99 a day or (much better value) $19.99 a month.
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 Nadal vs Djokovic: live stream French Open tennis in New Zealand
Sky Sport is showing the Nadal vs Djokovic match in New Zealand, but you’ll have to stay up really late to catch the action, with play scheduled to get underway at 3.30am NZST in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Sky Sport subscribers can live stream Nadal vs Djokovic via the 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.
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.