The 2024 Australian Open kicks off tonight in Melbourne Park, Australia. The tennis tournament will see some big names hit the court this weekend, including defending men’s singles champion and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Ben Shelton. On the women’s side, we’ll see defending women’s singles champion Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff. Rafael Nadal was meant to continue his comeback at this year’s Australian Open, but pulled out due to a new injury.
Tonight’s slate includes Jannik Sinner vs. Jesper de Jong, Caroline Dolehide vs. Coco Gauff, Ons Jabeur vs. Mirra Andreeva, Novak Djokovic vs. Alexei Popyrin, Christopher O’Connell vs. Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe vs. Tomas Machac and many, many more matches.
Are you ready to watch the 2024 Australian Open? Here’s everything you need to know about tuning into the tennis grand slam tonight, including the full tournament schedule, where to stream the Australian Open, how to watch matches for free and more.
How to watch the 2024 Australian Open:
Date(s): Jan. 14-28
Game: Australian Open
Location: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, AU
TV channel: ESPN, ABC, Tennis Channel
Streaming: ESPN+, Fubo, Sling, more
When is the 2024 Australian Open?
The 2024 Australian Open runs for exactly two weeks, from Sunday, Jan. 14 to Sunday, Jan. 28. However, due to the time difference in The Land Down Under, match start times will be a bit wonky for US viewers, meaning the first major tennis tournament of the year will start airing coverage on Jan. 13 in US timezones.
What channel is the Australian Open on in 2024?
In the US, coverage of the Australian Open will air across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ABC. The Tennis Channel will also be broadcasting daily highlights, analysis and replays.
How to watch the 2024 Australian Open without cable:
(Sling)
Starting at just $26 for your first month, Sling TV’s Orange + Sports Extra add-on package offers the Tennis Channel, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3, as well as NBA TV, NHL Network and more. While Sling Orange doesn’t include access to your local ABC, a TV antenna may help fill that gap for you. A Sling subscription also includes 50 hours of free DVR storage, so if you’re worried about missing any of the grand slam action, you can always record your games.
(Hulu)
Hulu’s live TV tier includes access live TV channels, ESPN+ and ad-supported Disney+, meaning you can watch the Australian Open across almost every channel airing coverage in the US, plus tune in via ESPN+ — and enjoy over 75 other channels. You’ll also enjoy access to unlimited DVR storage.
(Photo: ESPN+)
On top of airing on ESPN, this year’s Australian grand slam will stream live on ESPN+, so if you don’t want to pay for a pricey cable or streaming package that includes ESPN, this is a budget-friendly alternative. An ESPN+ subscription grants you access to exclusive ESPN+ content including live events like UFC Fight Night and F1 races, fantasy sports tools and premium ESPN+ articles. You can stream ESPN+ through an app on your smart TV, phone, tablet, computer and on ESPN.com.
(Fubo)
Fubo TV’s Elite tier gives you access to the Tennis Channel and ESPN, plus ABC, NBC, ESPN2, CBS, NBA TV, Ion and 200+ more live channels. At $85 per month, the live TV streaming service is definitely the priciest option on this list, but still leaves you with major savings compared to a traditional cable package. Fubo subscribers also get 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage. The platform offers a free trial period.
How to watch the Australian Open for free:
While ESPN is a pricey cable channel, Australian Open coverage will air free on Channel 9 and stream free in Australia on 9Now. If you’re based in the US, you can still access free Australian Open coverage with the help of a VPN.
(ExpressVPN)
ExpressVPN offers “internet without borders,” meaning you can tune into Australian Open matches totally free on 9Now, Channel 9’s streaming platform this month as opposed to paying for ESPN or ESPN+ for US coverage of the tennis tournament. All you’ll need to do is sign up for ExpressVPN, change your server location to Australia, and then tune into 9now’s live streaming coverage of every match in full HD.
ExpressVPN’s added protection, speed and range of location options makes it an excellent choice for first-time VPN users looking to stretch their streaming abilities. The service has servers in 94 countries — including Australia — and is easy to use with an app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, Apple smart TVs and Amazon Fire streaming sticks. Plus, it’s Endgadget’s top pick for the best streaming VPN. New users can save 49% when they sign up for ExpressVPN’s 12-month subscription. Plus, the service offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN for the very first time.
Who is playing in the 2024 Australian Open?
Tennis’ 2024 Australian Open will see some of the biggest stars of the sport hit the courts, including world No.1 Novak Djokovic, world No.1 Iga Światek, 2023 Australian Open women’s champion No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, 2023 Wimbledon champion and world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, 2023 U.S. Open Champion No. 3 Coco Gauff, Frances Tiafoe, No. 5 Jessica Pegula and rising tennis star Ben Shelton. This year’s Australian Open also marks the return of Naomi Osaka.
After previously planning to play in this year’s Australian grand slam, Rafael Nadal will be sitting out of the tournament after suffering a new injury to his recently repaired hip.
2024 Australian Open draw results
The main draw for the men’s and women’s singles in the 2024 Australian Open was held on Thursday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. local time in Australia. Novak Djokovic took the top seeded men’s spot, and Carlos Alcaraz was seeded at No. 2. Iga Swiatek drew the top spot on the women’s side, with Aryna Sabalenka coming in second.
Men’s seeding
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Novak Djokovic (SRB)
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Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)
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Daniil Medvedev (N/A)
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Jannik Sinner (ITA)
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Andrey Rublev (N/A)
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Alexander Zverev (GER)
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Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)
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Holger Rune (DEN)
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Hubert Hurkacz (POL)
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Alex De Minaur (AUS)
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Casper Ruud (NOR)
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Taylor Fritz (USA)
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Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
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Tommy Paul (USA)
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Karen Khachanov (N/A)
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Ben Shelton (USA)
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Frances Tiafoe (USA)
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Nicolas Jarry (CHL)
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Cameron Norrie (GBR)
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Adrian Mannarino (FRA)
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Ugo Humbert (FRA)
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Francisco Cerundolo (ARG)
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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
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Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)
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Lorenzo Musetti (ITA)
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Sebastian Baez (ARG)
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Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
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Tallon Griekspoor (NLD)
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Sebastian Korda (USA)
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Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG)
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Alexander Bublik (KAZ)
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Jiri Lehecka (CZE)
Women’s seeding
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Iga Swiatek (POL)
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Aryna Sabalenka (N/A)
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Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
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Coco Gauff (USA)
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Jessica Pegula (USA)
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Ons Jabeur (TUN)
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Marketa Vondrousova (CZE)
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Maria Sakkari (GRE)
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Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)
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Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)
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Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)
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Qinwen Zheng (CHN)
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Liudmila Samsonova (N/A)
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Daria Kasatkina (N/A)
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Veronika Kudermetova (N/A)
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Caroline Garcia (FRA)
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Ekaterina Alexandrova (N/A)
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Victoria Azarenka (N/A)
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Elina Svitolina (UKR)
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Magda Linette (POL)
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Donna Vekic (HRV)
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Sorana Cirstea (ROU)
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Anastasia Potapova (N/A)
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Anhelina Kalinina (UKR)
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Elise Mertens (BEL)
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Jasmine Paolini (ITA)
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Emma Navarro (USA)
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Lesia Tsurenko (UKR)
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Zhu Lin (CHN)
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Wang Xinyu (CHN)
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Marie Bouzkova (CZE)
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Leylah Fernandez (CAN)
Australian Open 2024 Schedule
Day matches start at 7 p.m. ET, with more matches rolling in at 8 p.m. ET, not before 9 p.m ET and not before 11 p.m. ET. Night sessions start at 3 a.m. ET.
Tuesday, Jan. 16
Men’s and Women’s second-round matches
Wednesday, Jan. 17
Men’s and Women’s second-round matches
Thursday, Jan. 18
Men’s and Women’s second-round matches
Friday, Jan. 19
Men’s and Women’s third-round matches
Saturday, Jan. 20
Men’s and Women’s third-round matches
Sunday, Jan. 21
Men’s and Women’s fourth-round matches
Monday, Jan. 22
Men’s and Women’s fourth-round matches
Tuesday, Jan. 23
Men’s and Women’s quarter-finals
Wednesday, Jan. 24
Men’s and Women’s quarter-finals
Thursday, Jan. 25
Women’s semi-finals
Friday, Jan. 26
Men’s semi-finals
Saturday, Jan. 27
Women’s final, Men’s doubles final
Sunday, Jan. 28
Men’s final, Women’s doubles final