How to Watch the 2026 US Open: Key Matches and Streaming Options

The US Open has already thrown up its share of shocks, and we’re only heading into Day 3.

Round one is in the books in New York, the draw has been shaken, and the stakes rise quickly from here. The men’s field has already been jolted by upsets, the women’s side is loading up with heavyweight names on court today, and the next wave of contenders now steps into the glare of Queens.

Here’s how to actually watch it — and who to watch.

How to Watch the 2026 US Open

For viewers in the United States, ESPN remains the main gateway to Flushing Meadows. The network holds exclusive US Open rights, with coverage spread across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and the ESPN app. Cord-cutters still have plenty of routes in, as long as their live TV package carries those channels.

Key options:

• DirecTV: The base package starts at $59.99 for the first month and includes ABC and ESPN+.
• ESPN Unlimited: Direct streaming from ESPN, starting at $29.99 per month, with live sports and archived shows.
• Fubo: Offers ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 in its Sports plan at $65.99 per month, with a quarterly option available.
• Sling: The Essentials plan carries ESPN and ESPN2 for $19.99 per month. There’s also a Sling TV Day Pass at $4.99 for one-off viewing.
• YouTube TV: Its Sports Plan includes ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 for $64.99 per month.

Those services all push you straight into the main broadcast feed, from early qualifying through to the finals.

Watching the US Open for Free

If you don’t already have a subscription, the door isn’t closed.

In the US, new users can lean on free trials from DirecTV, FuboTV, or YouTube TV to catch the tournament without paying up front. Timed right, those trials can cover a crucial stretch of the event.

There’s also a powerful loophole abroad. In Australia, 9Now is streaming the 2026 US Open for free. Viewers in the US, UK, or other regions who can’t access a domestic free trial may be able to reach that coverage by using a virtual private network (VPN) and connecting to an Australian server.

A typical route:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN such as ExpressVPN.
2. Download the VPN app on your device.
3. Connect to a server in Australia.
4. Head to 9Now and start streaming the US Open.

Most of the better VPN services charge a fee, but many offer a free trial for first-time users, which can turn into a no-cost way to follow the tournament.

One last technical note: enabling motion smoothing on your TV can make fast-paced tennis look smoother, though it can give films and series an unwanted “soap opera” sheen. If you switch it on for the Open, remember to switch it off when the last ball is struck.

Day 3: Gauff, Rybakina, Zverev and Fritz Take the Stage

With early nerves out of the way and round one settled, Day 3 delivers a packed slate on September 1, stretching from late morning into the New York night.

Women’s Singles – September 1 (ET)

• 11 a.m.
• • Maria Sakkari vs. Robin Montgomery
  • Yuliia Starodubtseva vs. Ella Seidel
  • Thea Frodin vs. Elena Rybakina
  • Yulia Putintseva vs. Belinda Bencic
  • Gabriela Andrea Knutson vs. Eva Lys
• The morning schedule is loaded with established names and dangerous floaters. Rybakina, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, steps in early against Frodin, while Bencic faces the gritty Putintseva.
• 11:30 a.m.
• • Madison Keys vs. Alina Korneeva
• 12:40 p.m.
• • Mirra Andreeva vs. Janice Tjen
• 12:45 p.m.
• • Darja Vidmanova vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
• 1:10 p.m.
• • Lucie Havlickova vs. Anna Bondar
  • Daria Kasatkina vs. Paula Badosa
• Kasatkina against Badosa jumps off the page, a matchup that could easily belong in a later round.
• 1:40 p.m.
• • Tatjana Maria vs. Jelena Ostapenko
• 1:50 p.m.
• • Kaitlin Quevedo vs. Elise Mertens
• 1:55 p.m.
• • Arantxa Rus vs. Leolia Jeanjean
• 2:50 p.m.
• • Iva Jovic vs. Magdalena Frech
• 3:20 p.m.
• • Nikola Bartunkova vs. Mayar Sherif
• 3:30 p.m.
• • Oleksandra Oliynykova vs. Reese Brantmeier
• 4 p.m.
• • Magda Linette vs. Francesca Jones

Then the lights come up.

• 7 p.m.
• • Coco Gauff vs. Zeynep Sonmez
• The American star takes center stage in the evening session, carrying the expectations of a home crowd and a nation that leads the field in total players.
• 8:40 p.m.
• • Mary Stoiana vs. Alexandra Eala
• One scheduled match, Anastasia Potapova vs. Terez Valentova, has been cancelled.

Men’s Singles – September 1 (ET)

The men’s draw has already absorbed its share of surprises, and the absence of Jannik Sinner only amplifies the sense of opportunity. Day 3 brings a steady stream of matches from late morning through prime time.

• 11 a.m.
• • Francisco Comesaña vs. Flavio Cobolli
  • Mattia Bellucci vs. Zsombor Piros
  • Dane Sweeny vs. Corentin Moutet
  • Nishesh Basavareddy vs. Tristian Schoolkate
  • Filip Misolic vs. Francisco Cerúndolo
• 12:10 p.m.
• • Camilo Ugo Carabelli vs. Jan-Lennard Struff
• 12:50 p.m.
• • Taylor Fritz vs. Darwin Blanch
• Fritz, one of the leading American hopes, steps into his campaign with the home crowd at his back.
• 1:10 p.m.
• • Arthur Fery vs. Lorenzo Musetti
• 1:30 p.m.
• • Zizou Bergs vs. Carlos Taberner
• 1:40 p.m.
• • Jesper de Jong vs. Francesco Passaro
• 2:20 p.m.
• • Rafael Jodar vs. Yunchaokete Bu
  • Juan Manuel Cerúndolo vs. Arthur Gea
• 2:50 p.m.
• • Fabian Marozsan vs. Michael Zheng
  • Zachary Svajda vs. Daniel Altmaier
  • Alex Molcan vs. Benjamin Bonzi
• 3 p.m.
• • Jan Choinski vs. Botic van de Zandschulp
• 4:30 p.m.
• • Marcos Giron vs. Ignacio Buse
• 5 p.m.
• • Andrea Guerrieri vs. Alex de Minaur

Night brings the marquee names.

• 7 p.m.
• • Adolfo Daniel Vallejos Álvarez vs. Gael Monfils
• 8:10 p.m.
• • Alexander Zverev vs. Lorenzo Sonego
• Zverev, the No. 1 seed in Sinner’s absence, opens his campaign under the lights, with Sonego standing in as a dangerous first test.

Tournament Schedule and Key Dates

The 2026 US Open stretches across three weeks, from Sunday, August 23, to Sunday, September 13, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.

The structure:

• Qualifying events: August 24–27
• Men’s and women’s singles (main draw): August 30–September 13
• Mixed doubles: August 24–26
• Men’s and women’s doubles: September 3–12
• Junior events: September 3–12
• Wheelchair events: September 8–12

The business end of the tournament is already set in stone:

• Women’s Doubles Final: Friday, September 11
• Women’s Singles Final and Men’s Doubles Final: Saturday, September 12
• Men’s Singles Final: Sunday, September 13

Mixed doubles has already crowned its champions. Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik of Czechia claimed that title, the first silverware of this year’s Open, while the rest of the draws continue to take shape.

Who’s in the 2026 US Open Field?

This year’s tournament boasts serious pedigree. Seventeen former Grand Slam singles champions are in the field, with 10 of them previous US Open winners.

On the men’s side, the injury to Jannik Sinner has removed one of the sport’s central forces, but it has sharpened the spotlight on others. Alexander Zverev enters as the No. 1 seed, Carlos Alcaraz as No. 2, and Felix Auger-Aliassime as No. 3.

The women’s draw looks just as loaded at the top. Aryna Sabalenka leads the seeding at No. 1, with Elena Rybakina at No. 2 and American Jessica Pegula at No. 3.

The United States has the deepest representation of any nation, with 28 players in the main draw. Beyond Pegula and Fritz, the home challenge features Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Ben Shelton, and Venus Williams, among others.

The upsets have already started. The seeds are in place. With the first round behind us and the lights of Queens burning late into the night, the question now is simple: who will still be standing on the second Sunday of September?