How to watch the 2026 Australian Open online for free

You can stream the 2026 Australian Open live for free on 9Now. Although 9Now is geo-restricted to Australia exclusively, anyone can access the free live streams on 9Now with a reliable streaming VPN, such as NordVPN.

The 2026 Australian Open begins on January 18 and will conclude on February 1. This is the 114th edition of the iconic tournament, and world-class players from the ATP and WTA tours will compete for its major title. The 2026 Australian Open has a record prize pool of A$111.5 million, significantly raising the stakes to levels never seen before.

The Australian Open 2026 is available to live stream for free on 9Now. However, the platform is currently restricted to Australia, and users outside the country are not permitted to access Australian Open content. Luckily, with a reliable VPN, you can change your virtual location to Australia, access 9Now as if locally, and stream the Australian Open tennis tournament for free. Based on our tests, NordVPN works the best with 9Now, thanks to its secure Australian servers, fast connection speeds, and excellent geo-restrictions bypass capabilities.

Continue reading this article and learn how you can watch the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now with the help of a VPN.

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NordVPN is the overall best VPN for live streaming the Australian Open from anywhere in the world. The service offers a 3-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee for risk-free use. With over 190 servers in Australia, NordVPN easily unblocks 9Now, providing a smooth streaming experience.

Why do you need a VPN to watch the Australian Open?

Broadcasting rights for major sports events, such as the Australian Open 2026, are sold on a country-by-country basis. Here’s a quick look at what channels or streaming platforms will have the rights to stream the iconic tennis tournament this year:

• In Australia, the 2026 Australian Open will be available on 9Now and will offer free live streams. The tournament will also be available on Stan Sports in Australia.
• In the US, the Australian Open will be available on ESPN+, Hulu+, and through YouTube TV.
• In Europe, you can stream the tournament on Discovery+ and TNT Sports.

However, if you try to access a broadcaster’s website from a country where they don’t have rights, the 2026 Australian Open stream will be blocked.

Fortunately, you can use a VPN to stream the 2026 Australian Open on 9Now for free, no matter your actual location. Through a server choice, a VPN makes it appear as though you’re browsing from Australia, allowing you to bypass geo-restrictions and access live streams.

Additionally, a VPN encrypts your online activities and makes them unreadable to your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and other nosy intruders. For example, you’ll be protected on public Wi-Fi networks, a popular hunting ground for hackers.

However, all these perks aren’t included with every VPN provider. Instead, you need to sign up for one of the best VPN services to ensure peak performance in any situation.

Where to watch the Australian Open 2026 in the USA

In the US, you can watch the 2026 Australian Open on ESPN/ESPN2, ESPN+, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV. However, none of these options are free, with subscriptions ranging from $45.99/month for Sling TV to over $80.00/month for Hulu + Live TV, Fubo TV, or YouTube.

As you can see from the table above, 9Now is the best option for watching Australian Open 2026 without cable. It’s a free online streaming service that offers Channel 9 programming, including live events. As you can see from the table above, 9Now is the best option for watching the Australian Open 2026 without cable. It’s a free online streaming service that offers Channel 9 programming, including live events. However, since 9Now is only available in Australia, you’ll need a VPN to access it from outside the country.

Watch Australian Open 2026

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

Not every VPN is well-equipped for unblocking the Australian Open. For starters, it needs fast tunneling protocols to ensure high quality and lag-free streaming experience. Secondly, it needs a large number of servers in Australia to handle the inevitable surge in traffic from Australian Open fans. Lastly, it needs to be secure and unaffected by IP and DNS leaks.

Based on my testing, NordVPN is the absolute best 9Now VPN. The service has over 190 secure servers in Australia, which makes bypassing geo-restrictions very easy.

NordVPN – the best choice for watching the Australian Open for free

NordVPN is the best VPN for unblocking and streaming the Australian Open anywhere. The service has 190+ servers in Australia, which are perfect for unblocking 9Now from anywhere in the world. Additionally, thanks to NordVPN's exceptionally fast connection speeds, I could stream the Australian Open without any interruptions.

Most NordVPN servers are equipped with RAM-only technology to ensure that no data is stored unnecessarily, while the strict no-logs policy increases your privacy further. Plus, you can grab a dedicated IP address from the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, or France and avoid the downsides of shared addresses. Lastly, NordVPN ensures your real IP address stays well hidden while you stream with robust IP/DNS/WebRTC leak protection measures and a reliable Kill Switch.

NordVPN is compatible with all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Kodi, and more. Moreover, you’ll have no trouble utilizing the VPN on practically any device, thanks to the SmartPlay feature.

NordVPN pricing starts at $3.09/month if you take advantage of a discount code. You can try out the service with the 3-day guarantee available for Android devices, and if you decide to subscribe, your purchase will be protected with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

For a deeper investigation of NordVPN, read our NordVPN review.

Can I watch the 2026 Australian Open with a free VPN?

You can use a free VPN to watch the Australian Open online, but only if you find one that offers fast speeds, unlimited data, and has servers in Australia. From my experience, finding a free VPN that matches these parameters is virtually impossible, since most of them have:

• Tiny server networks and no Australian options
• Bandwidth throttling
• Daily data caps insufficient for streaming the Australian Open
• Subpar security features, IP, and DNS leaks
• High risk of data logging and selling

Therefore, instead of using a poor-quality, free VPN to try streaming the Australian Open online for free on 9Now, use NordVPN’s 3-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee. During this period, you’ll get to use all of NordVPN’s premium features without paying, including its 190+ Australian servers, excellent geo-unblocking capabilities, and fastest connection speeds.

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When is the 2026 Australian Open?

The Australian Open officially starts on January 18th and runs until February 1st, while the qualifying rounds start on January 12th.

Jannik Sinner enters the tournament as the defending men’s singles champion, having won previously, and Madison Keys is the defending women’s singles champion from 2025.

The 114th edition of the event boasts an impressive prize pool of A$111.5 million. This is the largest ever prize pool in the history of the tournament and winners in both men’s and women’s singles will each receive A$4.15 million.

You can stay up to date with the situation by checking out the Australian Open profile on Twitter or any other social media.

Conclusion

The 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now. To access the geo-blocked platform and tennis tournament content, you will have to use a VPN to change your virtual location. From my experience, NordVPN is the best VPN to stream the Australian Open on 9Now from anywhere. The service offers secure and fast Australian servers, easily bypasses geo-restrictions, and provides the smoothest streaming experience thanks to incredibly fast connection speeds.

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FAQ

Where to watch the Australian Open in 2026?

The best place to watch the Australian Open in 2026 is Channel 9 in Australia. You can tune into the 9Now online streaming service if you don’t have cable. Keep in mind that the platform is geo-blocked to Australia. Luckily, you can change your location with a VPN and watch the Australian Open from anywhere.

Can I stream the Australian Open from anywhere?

Yes, you can stream the Australian Open for free on any device with 9Now. However, you’ll need a VPN if you don’t live in Australia. Otherwise, you’ll have to settle for local cable providers to watch the Australian Open.

What’s the best VPN for watching the Australian Open?

The best option for unblocking the Australian Open abroad is NordVPN. It’s loaded with servers, provides impressive connectivity with NordLynx, and excels in digital security. Plus, it’s pretty affordable and even has a 7-day free trial on the Google Play Store.