The 2021 US Open promises to be a fantastic tournament full of exciting tennis action. Fans will be tuning in to to see how favorites like Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka get on in their quest for victory.
Fans who are traveling outside their home country may face problems while watching their usual tennis streams due to geo-blocking. You can follow the quick guide below to bypass geo-restrictions and watch the US Open from anywhere:
- Subscribe to a reliable VPN provider. We recommend ExpressVPN for the US Open due to its high speeds and vast network of servers.
- Download and install the VPN app from the provider’s website.
- Launch the app and connect to a VPN server in your home country or in the country where your stream is based.
- Once connected, you can head over to the app or website you use to stream sports and find the US Open event.
- Enjoy the action!
Grand Slam tennis action is back in the form of the 141st edition of the US Open. The tournament will be played from 30 August to 12 September 2021 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in New York.
The qualifying rounds of the tournament were held between 24 August and 27 August 2021. 16 men and women secured three victories in four days to secure their qualification into the main draw of the US Open. Notable qualifiers were Emma Raducanu, who made the fourth round of this year’s Wimbledon, and 18-year old Danish prodigy Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune, who will now face No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic in the first round.
This year’s edition of the US Open is particularly exciting for fans. Naomi Osaka will look to defend her title and Novak Djokovic will aim to become the first male player since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four slams in a year. Unfortunately, fans will have to miss Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, and Dominic Thiem, who have withdrawn due to injury.
The US Open is being streamed on paid services, such as ESPN and Eurosport. These services geo-restrict their streams to comply with the requirements of their licenses. This could mean that the stream you usually use for the US Open is inaccessible if you happen to be traveling.
You can overcome these geo-restrictions and unblock streams by using a virtual private network (VPN). Keep reading to learn how you can quickly set up a VPN to watch the 2021 US Open.
How to Watch the 2021 US Open from Anywhere
Rights to stream tournaments like the US Open are licensed on a regional basis. As a result, streaming providers have to ensure that only customers within a region or country can view their streams. They do this by using your IP address to determine your current location. If you’re outside the region for which they have a license, you will be unable to use the stream.
A VPN helps overcome this issue by changing your IP address. It encrypts your internet activity and reroutes it through a server in a different country. Premium VPNs allow you to choose a VPN in your preferred country. You can use this functionality to make it seem like you’re in the United States, even if you happen to be in Australia!
Follow the short guide below to quickly set up a VPN to stream the US Open. If you want to know more about streaming tennis matches in general, check out this article.
Step-by-step guide on how to use a VPN to watch the US Open
- Subscribe to a reliable VPN provider. For streaming the US Open, we recommend ExpressVPN, as it offers great speeds and has a vast network of servers around the world.
- Download the app from the provider’s site. ExpressVPN works on all major platforms and operating systems.
- Install the app by following the on-screen instructions.
- Open the app and connect to a VPN server in your home country or wherever your stream is based. If you want to watch the US Open on ESPN, you’ll need to connect to a server in the US.
- Go to your streaming provider’s app or website and look for the US Open 2021 event.
- Enjoy the matches from anywhere in the world!
Can I Use a Free VPN to Watch the US Open 2021?
In some cases, you can use a free VPN to watch the US Open. But it won’t make for a pleasing viewing experience for a couple of reasons. These are:
- Free VPNs usually offer limited bandwidth and speeds, which can affect the quality of your stream and might even cause it to stop playing halfway through a match.
- Users don’t have the option to select from a number of servers in different countries, meaning you likely won’t be able to find an IP from the country you need to watch your favorite stream.
- Several IP addresses used by free VPNs have been blocked by streaming providers, so you won’t be given access at all.
Due to these reasons, we would not recommend the use of a free VPN to watch the US Open 2021. If you’d still like to use one, then take a look at our rankings of the best truly free VPNs of 2021 to see which one suits your needs.
Where is the US Open Being Broadcast?
The organizers of the US Open have tied up deals with many different broadcasting partners in different countries. Have a look at the table below to find out which channel or stream you can use to watch the US Open 2021 live
| Country/Region | Broadcasting Partner |
|---|---|
| Canada | TSN and RDS |
| Europe | Eurosport |
| India | Star Sports |
| Japan | Wowow |
| Middle East and North Africa | beIN Sports |
| Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America | ESPN International |
| Southeast Asia | Fox Sports |
| Sub-saharan Africa | SuperSport |
| United Kingdom and Ireland | Amazon Prime |
| United States | ESPN |
Note: Most of these services require a subscription to watch the US Open. If you’d like to watch the tournament for free, you can check out our article on the best free sports streaming websites. However, be careful when using free sports streaming sites, as some of these lead you to illegal streams, which could get you into trouble.
What is the Schedule of the US Open 2021?
The qualifying rounds of the US Open wrapped up on 27 August. The Main Draw starts on 30 August. We’ve captured the full schedule below to help you keep track of the matches across the men’s, women’s, and doubles events.
| Date | Round | Match Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 24.08.2021 – 27.08.2021 | Qualification Round | 11:00 AM |
| 30.08.2021 – 31.08.2021 | Men’s & Women’s First Round | 11:00 AM & 7:00 PM |
| 01.09.2021 – 02.09.2021 | Men’s & Women’s Second Round Doubles First Round | 11:00 AM & 7:00 PM 11:00 AM |
| 03.09.2021 – 04.09.2021 | Men’s & Women’s Third Round Doubles Second Round | 11:00 AM & 7:00 PM 11:00 AM |
| 05.09.2021 – 06.09.2021 | Men’s & Women’s Round of 16 Doubles Third Round | 11:00 AM & 7:00 PM 11:00 AM |
| 07.09.2021 – 08.09.2021 | Men’s & Women’s Quarter-Finals Doubles Quarter-Finals | 12:00 PM & 7:00 PM 12:00 PM |
| 09.09.2021 | Women’s Semi-Finals Doubles Semi-Finals | 7:00 PM 12:00 PM |
| 10.09.2021 | Men’s Semi-Finals Men’s or Mixed Doubles Final | 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM 12:00 PM |
| 11.09.2021 | Women’s Final Men’s or Mixed Doubles Final | 4:00 PM 12:00 PM |
| 12.09.2021 | Men’s Final Women’s Doubles Final | 4:00 PM 12:00 PM |
What to Watch Out for at The US Open 2021
The US Open marks the culmination of the annual tennis calendar as it is the last grand slam of the year. All players are looking to finish their year on a high and take the momentum into the next season.
Both men’s and women’s fields are highly competitive with several big names vying for the crown. Novak Djokovic is a favorite to win the men’s championship despite struggling with injuries over the latter half of the season. He should face stiff competition from Olympic goal medallist Alexander Zverev and last year’s finalist Daniil Medvedev.
Naomi Osaka and Ashleigh Barty are favored in the women’s draw. Osaka managed to defeat Serena Williams in 2018 and has been open about her mental health issues in the run-up to the US Open. The Australian Barty has been going strong all year and even won the Wimbledon title. The competition will be fierce, making this year’s US Open all the more exciting.
