The first Grand Slam tournament of the 2024 tennis calendar is upon us, with Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka looking to defend their titles at the Australian Open.

Despite hitting 36 years of age, Djokovic is once again the men's tournament favorite, with the veteran looking to extend his record of ten titles Down Under. His likely main competition in Melbourne this month comes from Spanish youngster Carlos Alcaraz, having beaten Djokovic in last year's Wimbledon final to prevent the Serbian from claiming a clean sweep of 2023's Grand Slam titles. Former No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and Italy's Davis Cup hero Jannik Sinner also look like strong contenders coming into the tournament, while two-time winner Rafa Nadal has been forced to pull out due to injury. 

Last year's women's competition saw Aryna Sabalenka claim her first Grand Slam, and the Belarusian is among the favorites for this year's crown, with the 25-year-old likely to face stiff competition from 2023 French Open winner Iga Swiatek and US Open champ Coco Gauff.

Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the tournament live wherever you are in the world.

Novak Djokovic will be in the hunt for his 25th Grand Slam title.  Andy Cheung/Getty Images The Australian Open 2024: When and where?

The 2024 Australian Open takes place between Sunday, Jan. 14 and Sunday, Jan. 28 at the iconic Melbourne Park in Victoria. A full schedule for this year's event can be found below.  

How to watch the Australian Open 2024 online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the tournament locally, you may need a different way to watch games -- 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, and 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. 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, non-blackout 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.

Livestream every Australian Open game in the US

If you don't have a cable or satellite TV subscription, you can watch the tennis with a live TV streaming service. All five of the major services offer ESPN. 

All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.

Livestream Australian Open 2024 matches in the UK

Rights to show this year's tournament in the UK are with pay TV network Sky Sports. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream games via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the tournament.

Livestream Australian Open 2024 matches in Australia for free

Tennis fans Down Under can watch live coverage of the Australian Open on free-to-air Channel 9. That also means you'll be able to watch the action online via the network's streaming service 9Now. 

Stream Medvedev vs. Djokovic in Canada

Live coverage of the Australian Open will be available in Canada via TSN. Cord cutters can watch via the network's streaming service TSN Plus.

Australian Open 2024 schedule

Sunday, Jan. 14 Start of men's and women's first round

Wednesday, Jan. 17 Start of men's and women's second round

Friday, Jan. 19 Start of men's and women's third round

Sunday, Jan. 21 Start of men's and women's fourth round

Tuesday, Jan. 23 Start of men's and women's quarter-finals

Thursday, Jan. 25 Women's semi-finals

Friday, Jan. 26 Men's semi-finals

Saturday, Jan. 27 Women's final

Sunday, Jan. 28 Men's final