With its build up dominated by Novak Djokovic's visa controversy, its something of a relief to have the action finally now take centre stage as the world's best tennis players convene in Melbourne for the years first Grand Slam event. Don't miss a moment by following our full guide on how to watch an Australian Open 2022 live stream from anywhere in the world.
While the men's No.1 player hopes of becoming the most successful men's player in the history of the game have well and truly been scuppered, Rafael Nadal who is tied with the Serb and Roger Federer on 20 slams will be hoping to capitalise on Djokovic's deportation.
Defending Women's champ Naomi Osaka will be back in action after taking a four-month break and looks set to receive stiff opposition from home hero Ashleigh Barty in the battle for the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
US Open winner Emma Raducanu's preparations for the tournament have meanwhile been less than ideal. She was thrashed 6-0, 6-1 by Elena Rybakina at the Sydney International, but could the breakout British star be a good outside bet to lift a second Grand Slam title?
Settle in for two weeks of top class tennis action by following our guide to watching an Australian Open 2022 live stream. And if you're abroad and can't access your preferred coverage, discover how you can use a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions.
When is the Australian Open 2022?
As ever, this year's edition of the Australian Open takes place at Melbourne Park, Victoria, with the tournament running from Monday, January 17 to Sunday, January 30.
The start time for the competitions opening rounds is at 11am AEDT / 12am GMT / 7pm ET / 4pm PT.
How to live stream the Australian Open 2022 if you're abroad
If you're out of the country when the Australian Open 2022 tests take place, you can still get access to a live stream - simply use the best VPN around to get past those geo-restrictions.
With most domestic broadcasters locking streaming services to their country, you may hit a wall when it comes to accessing the likes of BT Sport or Kayo when overseas. However, by getting yourself a handy streaming VPN, you can hop on a server in any country, which will switch your IP address to make it appear as if you're browsing right from the comfort of your own home.
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How to live stream the Australian Open 2022 and watch Grand Slam tennis anywhere else in the world
For tennis fans around the world, there are options to live stream the Australian Open 2022 and watch every serve, backhand and volley.
Those in the US can head straight to ESPN Plus which is live streaming everything on ESPN's TV channels - plus plenty more Australian Open action.
Alternatively, cord-cutting service Sling TV's Orange plan ($35 per month) meanwhile gives you access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and plenty more, and you can get 3 days of Sling for FREE right now.
A more expensive, but more comprehensive over-the-top offering is FuboTV, which also offers the ESPN channels along wit a boat-load of other channels for $65 per month.
Across the border, Canadian viewers can watch the action from Australia via TSN for English-language coverage, and RDS for French-language coverage.
If you get either network as part of your cable package, then you'll just be able to log in with the details of your provider and get access to an AO live stream.
If you don't have cable, then you can subscribe to TSN or RDS on a streaming-only basis from CA$7.99 a day or (much better value) $19.99 a month.
Usual US and Canadian start times for play is 7pm ET / 4pm PT for the tournament's morning sessions, with the evening sessions getting underway at 3am ET / 12am PT.
For Kiwis across the shores in New Zealand, Sky Sport is the place to watch the Aussie Open in 2022. Sky Sport comes as a part of many Sky TV packages, with the option to watch on TV or live stream straight to your device with the Sky Go service.
Those not committed to a cable package can use the Sky Sport Now platform, costing $19.99 for a weekly pass.
As previously mentioned, start times vary, but the earliest those in New Zealand can expect to sit down to watch the actions is at at 1pm NZDT for the early sessions, while the the late sessions get underway at 9pm.
Outside of the country when the Australian Open 2022 is on and can't access your preferred broadcaster? Download a VPN to circumvent any geo-restrictions and stream as if you were at home.
How to use a VPN to unblock any restrictions
If you're outside of your preferred broadcaster's boundaries, you can use a VPN to unblock any geo-restrictions and watch an Australian Open 2022 live stream as if you were right at home. Here's our step-by-step guide on how to do just that.
- VPN - standing for virtual private network - offers security and anonymity as you browse online, using set protocols to encrypt your data and make it unreadable to outsiders.
- As a part of that, you can also switch your IP address, which identifies your location.
- Most VPNs offer a list of locations where its servers are based to join. Connecting to them switches your IP to appear as if you're browsing from that country/city. In turn, you can then access content locked to that country.
- When it comes to finding a VPN, you should make sure you find the best one that's suitable for your chosen device, with VPN providers offering compatibility for a ton of devices, as well as nifty free VPNs.
- Once you've made the decision for the most suitable VPN for your device and your means for using a VPN, sign-up and install it.
- To live stream Australian Open 2022, all you need to do is select a server in the country you desire from its list and connect. You'll then be able to hop over those geo-restrictions with the likes of 9Now and Sling TV opening its online gates to you.
- We also want to ensure your money is well spent, so we would recommend going for a VPN that offers a risk free trial. ExpressVPN is one of many providers that has a 30-day money back guarantee.
