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The world’s top tennis players will gather in Paris at the end of the month to go head-to-head in the 2023 French Open. The clay-court tournament is the second on the Grand Slam itinerary for the year — first was the Australian Open in mid-January, and next comes Wimbledon in June and the U.S. Open in August. Each tournament is played over a two-week period and draws a ton of fans from all over the globe.
Fans in the U.S. have a couple of options for streaming every single match of the clay-court Grand Slam at Roland Garros. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the action live.
When is the 2023 French Open?
The first round of the 2023 French Open kicks off on Sunday, May 28 at the famous clay courts of Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. It will bring us two weeks of intense tennis action, with matches wrapping up on Sunday, June 11. Qualifying rounds for the tournament starts on Monday, May 22. For a tentative look at the schedule, head over to the official Roland-Garros website.
Can you stream the 2023 French Open for free?
There are multiple free live streams of the 2023 French Open available, but there’s just one problem for U.S.-based fans: you must be in a different country to access them. Luckily, there’s a workaround. You can access global streaming platforms from anywhere in the world — all you need is a quality VPN.
The free French Open live streams include Australia-based 9Now (English commentary), France-based France TV (French Commentary), Belgium-based RTBF (French commentary), and Austria-based Servus TV (German commentary). If you want an authentic French Open viewing experience, connect to a server based in France and head over to France TV, the official French broadcaster of the French Open. If you prefer an English broadcast, tune into 9Now from an Australian server.
Not all VPNs are created equally, of course (more on that later), but with the right one, you can seamlessly stream the 2023 French Open for free from any of these channels. Here’s how:
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Download and sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (check out our top picks below).
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Log into your VPN of choice and select a server based in France, Australia, Belgium, or Austria (depending on which stream you choose).
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Head over to 9Now, France TV, RTBF, or Servus TV for a free stream.
Technically, while the streams are free of charge, you’ll still be paying a monthly fee for the VPN itself. VPN fees tend to be much more affordable than streaming subscriptions, however, and offer money-back guarantees, free trials, and regular discounts.
What is the best VPN for streaming the 2023 French Open?
Best overall: ExpressVPN
After testing ExpressVPN firsthand, Mashable contributor Branford Shaw found it to be an excellent pick, particularly noting that it’s “easy to use, it works well, and there’s ample support available whenever you need it.” Plus, with its 3,000+ servers around the globe, you can easily connect to the web via France, Australia, Austria, or Belgium for a free stream of the French Open.
Read our full review of ExpressVPN.
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ExpressVPN (1 year + 3 months)
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Most affordable: CyberGhost VPN
With 213 dedicated servers in Australia, 400 in Austria, 216 in Belgium, and over 900 in France, CyberGhost VPN makes streaming the French Open for free a seamless experience. Not to mention, as Mashable shopping reporter Haley Henschel noted, “The rate you see at signup is the rate you’ll pay forever — no hidden fees here, folks.”
Read our full review of CyberGhost VPN.
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CyberGhost VPN (2 years + 2 months)
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Best premium pick: NordVPN
There’s a good chance you’ve heard of NordVPN; it’s one of the most popular VPNs out there. It’s a premium choice, though, with advanced security features like split tunneling, multi-hop connections, and built-in malware protection. So, if you’re new to the VPN game, it may be a bit too complex for you. Or, as Mashable shopping reporter Haley Henschel puts it, NordVPN is “for users who don’t need their hands held.”
Read our full review of NordVPN.
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NordVPN Standard (2 years + 3 months)
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Honorable mention: Proton VPN
Proton VPN offers servers in Austria, Australia, Belgium, and France, so you can choose to stream any of the free broadcasts. Plus, Proton also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is great for those who don’t want to commit to a long-term plan. It may not be the biggest or most powerful VPN on the list, but its commitment to consumer privacy and decent pricing make it worth mentioning.
Read our full review of ProtonVPN.
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Proton VPN Plus (2 years)
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Best streaming services to watch the 2023 French Open
While subscribing to a VPN is beneficial for a number of reasons (not only for streaming the French Open for free), it’s certainly not the best option for everyone. If you want a simpler option, Peacock will be streaming every match via its Premium subscription. You can also subscribe to a cable alternative like Sling or FuboTV, but these come with steep fees. It all depends on what your needs are. Want a long-term cord-cutting option? Go with Sling. Just want to watch the French Open and be on your merry way? Grab a month’s subscription to Peacock, then cancel. Want a solution to streaming live events in other countries or networks? A VPN could serve you well.
Here are the best streaming services for watching the 2023 French Open in the U.S.
Most direct: Peacock Premium
By far the simplest way to watch the 2023 French Open in the U.S. is with a Peacock Premium subscription. It’s only $4.99 per month, so you can easily align your subscription to the weeks of the French Open and watch every round for one low price. Just make sure you cancel before the month is up to avoid automatic charges for the following month. For an even better deal, you can commit to a year and pay just $19.99 (reg. $49.99) with code N2TEWDZZ. That brings the cost down to just $1.66 per month and you’ll surely get your money’s worth with Peacock’s content library.
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Best cable alternative: Sling TV Blue package
The next best thing to cable for watching the French Open is a live TV streaming service — and Sling TV is one of our top picks. It’s significantly more affordable than other live TV streamers, even with add-ons, and you can save $10 on your first month with the current promotion. The Blue package gives you access to NBC networks to watch some of the matches, but in order to get the Tennis Channel, which is live-streaming the rest, you’ll need to add the Sports Extra package for another $11/month. Altogether, that equals $41 for your first month, then $51 for every subsequent month. Be sure to cancel your subscription before your first month is up to avoid automatic charges.
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Sling TV Blue package
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Honorable mentions
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FuboTV — $74.99/month (access to NBC and Tennis Channel)
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Hulu + Live TV — $69.99/month (access to NBC and Tennis Channel)
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YouTube TV — free 10-day trial, then $64.99/month for your first 3 months ($72.99/month thereafter) (access to NBC only)
