How to Watch the Australian Open Live to See Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Jones & More Players Compete on the Court

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The 2026 tennis Grand Slam season has officially started, but if you don’t know how to watch the Australian Open 2026 live online, don’t worry, because we have one of the best—and cheapest—secrets to stream this year’s championship without a TV or a cable subscription.

The Australian Open is the first of four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year before the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. The event, which is held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, typically starts around the middle of January and continues for two weeks. It traditionally concludes with the men’s finals on the last Sunday of the month. The tournament is also played on hard court, which is in contrast to the clay court at the French Open and the grass court at Wimbledon. (The US Open is also played on hard court.)

Given that it’s the first of the Grand Slam events, the Australian Open is often the highest-attended of the four, with more than 1.2 million people attending the 2025 tournament, including the qualifying rounds. But if you’re at home and nowhere near Melbourne, don’t fret, because we have the best tip on how to watch the Australian Open 2026 live online below.

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How to watch the Australian Open 2026

The Australian Open airs on ESPN and ESPN2, which are available to stream on services like Sling TV. ESPN2 will air all rounds of the Australian Open, while the semifinals will air on ESPN. Sling offers two plans with ESPN and ESPN2: Sling Orange, which starts at $45.99 per month, and Sling Orange + Blue, which starts at $65.99 per month. Sling has a current deal where new subscribers can also sign up for Sling Orange’s Day Pass for $4.99. Sling also offers a Weekend Pass of Sling Orange for $9.99, and a Week Pass for $14.99. Sling has another current deal where new subscribers can sign up for Sling Orange + Blue for 50 percent off their first month, which brings the price down to $33.

As for which of Sling’s plans is right for you, Sling Orange offers more than 30 channels, as well as the ability to stream on up to one devices at one time. Sling’s third plan, Sling Blue, offers more than 40 channels, as well as the ability to stream on up to three devices at one time. Sling Orange & Blue, for its part, offers more than 50 channels, the ability to stream on up to three devices, as well as everything included in Sling Blue and Sling Orange. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch the Australian Open with Sling.

1. Visit Sling.com
2. Click “Try Us Today”
3. Enter your information and payment method
4. Select your plan between Sling Orange, and Sling Orange & Blue
5. Search for “ESPN”
6. Start watching!

What’s the Australian Open 2026 schedule?

Daily qualifying

• January 11 to 17

Tournament start

• January 18

Round of 16

• January 24

Quarterfinals

• January 26

Women’s and Men’s semifinals

• January 29

Women’s championship

• January 31

Men’s championship

• February 1

Which players are in the Australian Open 2026?

Notable players in the 2026 Australian Open include Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys, who are set to defend their titles in the Men’s and Women’s singles championships, respectively. Coco Gauff will also compete for her first championship in the tournament, while Venus William received a wild-card spot to compete in her first Australian Open since 2021. Other favorites include Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Aryna Sabalenka.

The Australian Open is available to stream with Sling.