Tennis Fans Slam ESPN After Australian Open Coverage Issues – “They Always Try to Squeeze More Money”

The 2026 Australian Open got underway at Melbourne Park on Sunday (January 18). In the United States, the matches are being broadcast on ESPN and ESPN 2, with ESPN+ being the platform for live streaming.

But to the utter frustration of the US fans, they cannot enjoy all Australian Open matches on ESPN+ because to get the same, they need the ESPN Unlimited subscription. The revamped platform costs $29.99 per month and $299.99 per year.

ESPN has two new streaming platforms – ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited. The former comes with a subscription fee of $12.99 per month and $129.99 per year. ESPN Select doesn’t have any ESPN live channels, but ESPN Unlimited provides all TV content.

We’re approaching our 46th year here, and I would say that this is one of the biggest days at ESPN, if not the biggest. This is something that fans have been wanting; they’ve been asking for it for many years. And our mission is to serve the sports fan — anytime, anywhere — and we’re going to deliver.

ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro told CNBC’s David Faber last year

ESPN Unlimited promised to cover more than 47,000 live events annually, which includes the first tennis Grand Slam event of the season. If the users want to bundle ESPN Unlimited along with Disney+ and Hulu, they’ll need to pay a subscription fee of $35.99 per month with ads and $44.99 per month without ads.

Tennis fans are disappointed with ESPN Unlimited’s subscription cost

From the very first day of the Australian Open main draw, American fans voiced their frustrations. They couldn’t understand the need for a $29.99 subscription fee to watch the Australian Open matches.

Check out their reactions here:

That’s really frustrating to hear hoping they fix it soon

— Girish Menon (@wildlifegiri) January 18, 2026

Just figured that out myself. Such a shame

— Paula (@Pgem34) January 18, 2026

finding out an ESPN+ subscription is no longer enough to watch all the AO matches and you need an "ESPN Unlimited" subscription?! it's gone from worse to worser… pic.twitter.com/RXQ0qJNmf7

— Christian's Court (@christianscourt) January 18, 2026

I hate ESPN and I hate corporate greed

— Fraser's Mittens (@TheMaster_Plan_) January 18, 2026

It’s crazy. Really frustrating. Does the “ESPN Select” plan for $12.99 per month get you all the AO action? Clear as mud.

— Dr. Ryan Smith (@RyanDSmithEdD) January 18, 2026

Exactly…I got espn plus for the month thinking I was set and immediately couldn't find some matches. Just like everything else now, they always try to squeeze more money out of people.

— bezmenov was right (@BrooksDemo) January 18, 2026

@ChrisMcKendry @JohnMcEnroe What the heck is wrong with ESPN. Cable – not enough. ESPN+ not enough. 1st matches need espn unlimited. I’m done.

— SD (@DekkSd) January 18, 2026

just don't watch.. let them learn this lesson

— Sandrine_in_SC (@Sandrine_in_SC) January 18, 2026

From the US, Coco Gauff is through to the second round after an easy win over Kamilla Rakhimova. She will next be locking horns with Olga Danilovic, who knocked out seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams.

Men’s World No.4 Taylor Fritz will kick-start his campaign against Valentin Royer on Tuesday (January 20). Ben Shelton, the eighth seed, will meet Ugo Humbert in his first-round match.

The 2026 Australian Open so far

Several top players have already played their first round matches of the Australian Open. Men’s World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz secured a straight-set win over Adam Walton, while World No.2 Jannik Sinner will lock horns with his first-round opponent, Hugo Gaston, on Tuesday.

World No.3 Alexander Zverev survived a scare against Gabriel Diallo, winning in four sets. Novak Djokovic, the tournament’s most successful player with 10 titles, breezed past Pedro Martinez.

Sinner, Alcaraz, and Djokovic are eyeing history at Melbourne Park. The Italian ace is bidding to join the 24-time Grand Slam to become the second man in the Open Era to complete the three-peat, while Alcaraz is bidding to become the youngest man in the Open Era to accomplish the Career Grand Slam.

Djokovic, who last won a Major at the 2023 US Open, is chasing his historic 25th Grand Slam title. The Serbian great will next meet Francesco Maestrelli.

On the women’s side, World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, who is chasing her third title in the event, breezed past Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah and will next be squaring off against Zhuoxuan Bai. World No.2 Iga Swiatek, after winning last year’s Wimbledon, needs just the Australian Open to complete the Career Grand Slam. She survived an early scare but eventually eliminated her first-round opponent, Yue Yuan, to set up a second-round match against Marie Bouzkova.

World No.4 Amanda Anisimova also made it to the second round after defeating Simona Waltert. Last year, the American made the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open, losing them to Swiatek and Sabalenka, respectively.

Also read: Carlos Alcaraz Hails Samuel Lopez Amid Juan Carlos Ferrero Split: “Best Coach in the World”