The first week of the US Open has arrived, and Monday's mixed doubles action delivers one of the most anticipated pairings of the event: Serena Williams alongside Carlos Alcaraz. The top-seeded duo of Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic also takes the court today, while qualifying rounds for the men's and women's singles draws continue at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.
How to Watch Without Cable
ESPN holds exclusive broadcast rights to the US Open, mirroring its arrangement with Wimbledon. For viewers who've cut the cord, that means finding a streaming service that carries ESPN's sports package. DirecTV's base package starts at $59.99 for the first month and includes ESPN Unlimited, while standalone ESPN streaming begins at $29.99 monthly. Fubo offers ESPN through its Sports plan for $55.99 per month, Sling's Essentials tier runs $19.99 monthly with a $4.99 day-pass option, and YouTube TV bundles ESPN into its Sports Plan for $64.99. Anyone comparing privacy tools for streaming or general browsing might also want to look at how providers stack up feature-for-feature; a breakdown like expressvpn vs nordvpn can help clarify which service better suits location-based streaming needs versus everyday security.
Using a VPN to Access Geo-Restricted Coverage
For viewers outside standard broadcast regions, a virtual private network offers a workaround by routing internet traffic through a server in another country, effectively changing the user's apparent location. This works because streaming platforms typically restrict content based on IP address, and a VPN masks that address with one tied to the server's location. To follow the US Open this way, subscribers can install a streaming-capable VPN, connect to a server in Australia, and then visit a regional broadcaster like 9Now to begin watching. It's worth understanding that this approach sits in a legal gray area depending on the platform's terms of service, even though the underlying technology - encrypted tunneling between a device and a remote server - is the same one used for legitimate privacy protection against surveillance and data interception on public networks.
What's at Stake This Year
The 2026 field includes 17 former Grand Slam singles champions, ten of them past US Open winners, among them Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Alcaraz, and Djokovic on the men's side, with Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, and Jessica Pegula leading the women's rankings. Mixed doubles headliners extend beyond Williams and Alcaraz to include Iga Swiatek with Casper Ruud, Pegula with Jack Draper, and Taylor Townsend with Zverev. The United States fields 28 players in the main draw, more than any other nation, including Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Ben Shelton, and Taylor Fritz.
Beyond the Official Draw
Roger Federer, a five-time US Open winner, returns for an exhibition on August 25 alongside Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, and John McEnroe, though he isn't part of the competitive field. A separate August 27 exhibition showcases rising talents including João Fonseca, Alexandra Eala, and Learner Tien. Whichever way fans tune in - cable, streaming, or a VPN-assisted workaround - one practical tip applies universally: enabling a television's motion-smoothing setting can sharpen fast-paced viewing, but it's best switched off afterward to avoid distorting films and scripted programming with an artificial, overly fluid look.