If you ever tried to watch a tennis match and wound up clicking sketchy links, you aren’t alone. Watching every pro tennis match—Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, Davis Cup, you name it—has turned into a maze of subscriptions, blackouts, and region locks. Tennis isn’t like soccer, where every league seems to have a home. Here, you might need a mix of big-name streaming platforms, official apps, cable channels, and, if you’re outside the US or UK, some useful tricks.
Major Streaming Platforms for Live Tennis
These days, if you want to see the top players and every sweat bead that drops, you’ve got to go digital. The official all-in-one option is still missing, but several platforms offer nearly-complete coverage. Let’s talk about them.
For US fans, ESPN and the Tennis Channel grab the most action. ESPN holds rights for all four Grand Slams—Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. But you won’t always find every court. ESPN+ (the streaming offshoot) fills those gaps during major tournaments, bringing access to “outer courts” or doubles matches not shown on TV. On the cable side, Tennis Channel delivers ATP and WTA action every week, plus the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. During smaller tournaments, exclusive rights can bounce between CBS Sports Network, Amazon Prime (in the UK), or BeIN Sports (Australia and parts of Europe).
If you don’t have cable, there’s hope. Sling TV, FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, and Hulu + Live TV bundle these networks on streaming, though you’ll want to check what’s included where you live. Often, Tennis Channel might be a special add-on. Here’s what it can look like:
| Service | Tennis Channel | ESPN/ESPN+ | Price/mo (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sling TV (Sports Extra) | Yes | Partial | From $46 |
| FuboTV | Yes | Partial | From $79.99 |
| Hulu + Live TV | No | Yes | From $76.99 |
| DirecTV Stream | Yes | Yes | From $89.99 |
Across Europe, the landscape changes again. In the UK, Amazon Prime Video snatched exclusive rights for the US Open and most ATP/WTA events, with BBC sharing Wimbledon duties on free TV and streams. France leans on Eurosport for most majors and the domestic Open. In Australia, Stan Sport is the big winner, adding all four Grand Slams under one roof with their partnership with Nine Network.
So, is there a single service that covers every match, live and replay, globally? Not yet. You’ll need to layer a couple subscriptions and may want to use free trials for big events.
Official Tennis Apps & Direct Subscriptions
If you crave the most matches possible, nothing beats the official ATP and WTA apps. The ATP Tour app brings scores, stats, and news, but the real deal—the ATP Tour Tennis TV—offers premium streaming for over 2,000 matches a year. That includes every Masters 1000, ATP 500, and ATP 250 event, with multiple courts, replays, and commentary in several languages.
WTA TV does for women’s tennis what Tennis TV does for the men’s tour. It provides full access to WTA events worldwide, outside of the four Grand Slams (which all use their own deals with major broadcasters). If you care about seeing future stars grinding it out in first rounds, these direct apps have you covered.
Grand Slam events have their own streaming. Wimbledon’s premium online platform, Wimbledon.com, with a Day Pass, gives every singles and doubles match. The US Open offers a similar service. One insider tip: during Slams, check the tournament’s official app. They often have unique camera angles, interviews, and match highlights unavailable anywhere else.
Some tournaments, like Indian Wells and Miami Open, even run their own subscription streams globally. While you might miss out on local commentary, you get straight-to-video matches, no cable needed. Here’s a quick breakdown:
| Service/App | Coverage | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| ATP Tennis TV | ATP 1000/500/250 | $14.99/mo |
| WTA TV | WTA tour events | $9.99/mo |
| Wimbledon.com | Wimbledon | Per day/Per event |
| US Open Live | US Open | Free with ads/Premium for replays |
Free and Legal Alternatives to Watch Tennis
Believe it or not, you can still watch some pro tennis for free—legally. National broadcasters, especially during big tournaments, offer matches on their free channels or websites. In the UK, BBC iPlayer broadcasts BBC’s live Wimbledon feeds, and you don’t even need a cable contract, only an internet connection. In the US, the free-to-air ABC channel sometimes carries the later rounds of Grand Slams—especially US Open finals. France’s France TV brings the Roland Garros magic straight to viewers without paywalls. Stan, in Australia, lets you dip your toes during qualifying or the business end of the Australian Open.
Social media is a surprising goldmine. The official ATP and WTA YouTube channels post daily highlights and select full matches within hours of the final point. Facebook Watch and Twitter/X stream select matches during the smaller tournaments or exhibition events, especially in tennis-mad countries like Italy, Spain, and Germany. It’s not always the semis or finals, but for free, you avoid any sketchy pop-ups or malware risks. If you missed a live match, Twitch has begun hosting tennis creators doing live watchalongs where you’ll catch instant analysis with the replays and banter.
“The fan needs access everywhere, not just in one country,” says Craig Tiley, the CEO of Tennis Australia, who advocated for more global sign-ins for streaming at the 2024 Australian Open.
One overlooked free route: many smaller ATP 250 and WTA International events stream early rounds or qualifying for free on their official websites or apps, especially for pre-tournament draws. Not every player is a superstar, but sometimes those hidden gems turn into the next big Grand Slam threat.
Workarounds: VPNs, Unblocking, and Traveling Fans
Sometimes, you pay for a service only to find your favorite match blocked in your country—welcome to the blackout zone. This is where a little tech know-how helps. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) makes your connection appear as if you’re browsing from another country. Connect to a UK server, and you might use BBC iPlayer even when traveling; switch to Australia for Nine’s coverage of the Australian Open. Just remember, not all broadcasters allow VPN use and some have gotten good at blocking. Choose a reliable VPN provider (NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark are favorites among expats) and look for one with fast speeds and servers in tennis hotspots.
For travelers, the best advice: check if your home subscriptions work internationally. ESPN+, for example, is US-only, while Tennis TV and WTA TV have global access—so those are safer for digital nomads. And if you’re in a hotel or Airbnb, try visiting local sports bars or cafes. Big matches often play on public TV, especially during Grand Slam season, and you might catch a match in a lively crowd (those collective gasps make every point more dramatic).
One caveat—always use legal services. Pirated streams risk malware, pop-ups, or even legal issues. The ATP reported in 2023 that over 2 million users were exposed to dangerous adware via illegal tennis streams during major finals. Not worth the cost, right?
Keeping Up: Match Schedules, Replays, and Stay in the Loop
You finally found the right service. But tennis never stops, and matches pop up across time zones—sometimes at 2am, sometimes overlapping. How do you keep track?
The best hack is the ATP and WTA official websites. They update daily with order of play, match times (converted to your local time if you register), and real-time results. Grand Slams also have detailed schedules with filter options by court, country, or player. You can even set up notifications or calendar sync to never miss your favorite star. Pro tip: the Tennis Channel app and Eurosport app allow push notifications for live scores, match starts, and quick links to current streams.
Replays are your best friend. Most streaming sites, from ESPN+ to Tennis TV to Amazon Prime Video, hold full matches for at least a week after they’re played, some for months. The ATP says 73% of online viewers in 2024 watched replays instead of live matches—so don’t worry if that 4am start time kills your social life.
If you want pure stats and a community, Reddit’s r/tennis posts daily links, match threads, and highlights. The official ATP and WTA social accounts drop interviews, behind-the-scenes peeks, and funny moments you won’t see on TV. With tennis, the party is always online, and the game never really ends.
No matter where you are, with the right sources and a good strategy, there’s no reason to miss another winner down the line. The age of hunting dodgy links is over—you just need to know where to look.