Iga Świątek’s pursuit of a record-breaking fourth consecutive French Open title faces its toughest challenge yet as she takes on old rival Elena Rybakina.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the match as it happens, wherever you are in the world, and how to use a VPN if it’s not available where you are.
Świątek has the recent bragging rights, with the Polish star coming into this clash having won the previous two encounters between the pair this year in Doha and at the United Cup in Australia.
No. 12 seed Rybakina nevertheless holds an edge in Masters and Grand Slams, with key wins in the Rome Masters, Indian Wells and the Australian Open back in 2023.
This round-of-16 clash is already underway on Court Philippe Chatrier at Stade Roland Garros in Paris.
How to watch Elena Rybakina vs. Iga Świątek in the US
The French Open will be shown across TNT Sports channels: TNT, TBS and truTV. You can also watch every match shown on TV plus hundreds of others not available on the TNT channels on Max. Four of the five major live-TV streaming services include the TNT Sports channels — all but Fubo — but the cheapest way to watch the French Open is by signing up for a month of Max.
How to watch the French Open free from anywhere with a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the tournament locally, you may need a different way to watch — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic. It’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
How to watch or stream Elena Rybakina vs. Iga Świątek in the UK
Tennis fans in the UK will need to subscribe to Eurosport or the streaming service Discovery Plus to watch the French Open.
How to watch or stream Elena Rybakina vs. Iga Świątek in Canada
Canadian tennis fans can watch the tournament via streaming service TSN Plus. Existing TSN cable subscribers can watch at no extra charge using the details of their TV provider. You also watch the French-language broadcast on RDS.
How to watch or stream Elena Rybakina vs. Iga Świątek in Australia free
Good news for sports fans Down Under: They can watch the French Open without paying a cent, thanks to free-to-air broadcaster Channel 9. That also means you’ll be able to watch the tournament live online via its streaming service 9Now.
Aussies also have a second option for streaming the action from Roland-Garros via pay TV sports network Stan Sport, which is livestreaming every match on every court without ads. A Stan Sport subscription costs AU$15 per month on top of a AU$12 Stan subscription.
Quick tips for streaming the French Open using a VPN
- With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming the tournament may vary.
- If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the «search for city or country» option.
- If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, as both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.