Australian Open 2026: How to watch the Naomi Osaka vs. Sorana Cirstea match tonight

After making headlines with her first-round attire, Japan’s Naomi Osaka will step onto the court for her second-round match at the 2026 Australian Open tonight, where she’ll face Romania’s Sorana Cirstea. Osaka entered as the No. 16 seed. The unseeded Cirstea has a WTA ranking of 41.

The pair will face off in Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena, with an estimated start time of 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT. Tournament coverage will air across ESPN and ESPN2. The entire tournament will stream on ESPN+ for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Here’s what you need to know about watching the 2026 Australian Open.

How to watch Naomi Osaka play tonight:

Date: Thursday, Jan. 22

Time: 3 a.m. ET

Location: Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, Australia

TV channel: ESPN2

Streaming: ESPN+

When does Naomi Osaka play at the 2026 Australian Open?

Naomi Osaka plays her second round at the Australian Open late tonight, at 3 a.m. ET/midnight PT.

Naomi Osaka vs. Sorana Cirstea match start time:

In the U.S., thanks to the time difference, the second-round match between Osaka and Cirstea is scheduled to start at 3 a.m. ET.

Australian Open channel:

The Australian Open will air on ESPN, with the entire tournament streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. Select tournament coverage will also air on ESPN2 before moving to ESPN for the semifinals and beyond.

How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:

ESPN’s revamped streaming platform offers thousands of exclusive live events, original studio shows and acclaimed series that air across ESPN’s suite of seven linear channels, as well as exclusive content on ESPN+, ABC on ESPN, SEC+, ACCNX, and some content from NFL Network and NFL RedZone. The Unlimited tier costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year.

$29.99/month at ESPN

DirecTV’s Entertainment tier gets you access to loads of channels where you can tune in to college and pro sports, including ESPN, TNT, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, and, depending on where you live, local affiliates for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

Whichever package you choose, you’ll get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN+’s new streaming tier, ESPN Unlimited.

DirecTV’s Entertainment tier package is $89.99/month. But you can currently try all this out for free for five days. If you’re interested in trying out a live TV streaming service but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.

Try free at DirecTV

Fubo’s skinny sports bundle includes local broadcast stations owned and operated by ABC, CBS and Fox, plus additional affiliates in select markets as well as ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox News, FS1, FS2, Fubo Sports Network, ION, NFL Network, SEC Network and Tennis Channel. It also includes free access to ESPN’s new ESPN+ Unlimited plan. Fubo subscribers get unlimited cloud DVR storage too.

You can get $10 off your first month of this Fubo sports bundle, which brings the cost to $45.99; after that, it goes up to $55.99/month.

$45.99 for your first month at Fubo

Sling TV’s Day Pass gives you the freedom to watch what you want, when you want, without committing to a monthly streaming subscription.

A single day pass costs $4.99 and lets you watch every channel available through Sling Orange, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, Disney Channel and 30 more with no other subscriptions or commitment necessary.

$4.99/day at Sling

Where to watch the 2026 Australian Open without cable:

If you want to catch every match of the Australian Open and don’t currently subscribe to ESPN+, cable or a live TV streaming service, in Australia, a majority of the action will be streaming free with ads on 9Now.

Don’t live in the land down under? You can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to tennis coverage without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.

ExpressVPN offers “internet without borders,” meaning you can catch free coverage of the 2026 Australian Open without a cable package. All you’ll need to do is sign up for ExpressVPN, change your server location to Australia, and then find free livestream coverage via 9Now. Plus it’s Engadget’s pick for the best premium VPN. ExpressVPN offers three tiers of subscriptions: the Basic Plan (starting at $3.49/month), the Advanced Plan (starting at $4.49/month) and the Pro Plan (starting at $7.49/month).

ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.

From $3.49/month at ExpressVPN

Australian Open 2026 schedule:

All times Eastern

Saturday, Jan. 17

(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 18

(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 19

(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 20

(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 21

(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 22

(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 23

(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 24

(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 25

(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 26

(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 27

(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 28

(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 12) Women’s Semifinals: 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 29

(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 8:00 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 30

(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 3:30 a.m.

Saturday, Jan. 31

(Day 14) Women’s Final: 3:30 a.m.

Sunday, Feb. 1

(Day 15) Men’s Final: 3:30 a.m.

Who is playing in the 2026 Australian Open?

The top 10 seeded players for the singles draws are listed below.

Men’s singles seeds

1. Carlos Alcaraz

2. Jannik Sinner

3. Alexander Zverev

4. Novak Djokovic

5. Felix Auger-Aliassime

Women’s singles seeds

1. Aryna Sabalenka

2. Iga Swiatek

3. Amanda Anisimova

4. Coco Gauff

5. Elena Rybakina

Australian Open prize money:

For 2026, the men’s and women’s singles winners each get $4,150,000, with the runner-up receiving $2,150,000 and semi-finalists receiving $1,250,000.

More ways to watch the 2026 Australian Open:

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