The Australian Open, tennis’ first major of 2023, begins Monday, Jan. 9, with three weeks of exclusive marathon daily coverage from ESPN platforms.  All Australian Open 2023 qualifying matches will stream live exclusively on ESPN+ Sunday, January 8 through Wednesday, January 11 starting at 6 p.m. ET.

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With the retirement of Roger Federer, one of tennis’ greatest champions, ESPN will honor him by treating fans to some of the greatest moments of his career. At 41 years old, Federer has played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. ESPN will showcase several of those career highlights in primetime on Tuesday, September 27, on ESPN2.

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The 2022 US Open on ESPN averaged 1.21 million viewers over the two weeks and nearly 168 hours of wall-to-wall live coverage, up 50% from last year and the third-best for ESPN since it gained exclusivity for the last of tennis’ four Majors each year in 2015.  The audience was boosted during the first week by the widespread attention to Serena Williams – who was featured three times in prime time plus in a doubles match with her sister Venus – who most believe was playing her final tournament and in the second week by matches with Frances Tiafoe, Coco Gauff and eventual men’s champion, Carlos Alcaraz. (See individual match viewership notes below.)   

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Two of the sport’s most-promising young players – 19-year-old No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and 23-year-old No. 5 seed Casper Ruud of Norway – will usher in a new era of men’s tennis when they meet for the US Open Men’s Championship on ESPN and ESPN Deportes on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 4 p.m. ET.  In addition, the winner will become the new top-ranked man in the world for the first time in their career.    

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The US Open Women’s Championship is a top-five battle – No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland and No. 5 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia – on ESPN and ESPN Deportes on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 4 p.m. ET.  They are 1-2 in the WTA in 2022 in terms of wins; Swiatek’s record is 50-7 while Jabeur is 38-13.  They two have met on the court four times, each player winning twice. 

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The familiar names of men who have dominated men’s tennis for the last 15-20 years are missing and new, exciting players have taken their place in the final four at the US Open, to be contested today, Friday, Sept. 9, on ESPN at 3 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. 

The afternoon match will see No. 5 seed Casper Ruud (age 23) and No. 27 Karen Khachanov (26) squaring off in the semifinal on one side of the draw while the prime-time offering has No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz (age 19) playing No. 22 Frances Tiafoe of Maryland (24) on the other side.  Both duels will also be seen live on ESPN Deportes.  Of the four men, only Ruud has played in a Major semifinal; he was runner up at this year’s French Open. 

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Four high seeds – three seeking their maiden Major championship and the other her third – will pair off in the US Open Women’s Semifinals tonight, Thursday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.  The first match will pit recent Wimbledon finalist No. 5 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia vs. No. 17 Caroline Garcia of France.  The nightcap on Arthur Ashe Stadium will see top-seeded Iga Swiatek, a two-time champion at the French Open from Poland, facing No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus.  The US Open Women’s Championship will be contested on ESPN on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 4 p.m.

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Friday’s US Open Third Round match on ESPN – apparently the last in the remarkable career of Serena Williams, as she lost to Ajla Tomljanovich of Australia 7-5, 6-7, 6-1 – is the most-watched tennis telecast on record in ESPN’s 43-year history.  An average of 4.6 million viewers (P2+) tuned in for the telecast from Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.  The previous record of 3.9 million was for the 2012 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Championship, when Roger Federer defeated Andy Murray, in ESPN’s first year with exclusivity and first-ball-to-last-ball coverage from London.

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Over Labor Day Weekend, ESPN will present at least 12 hours of linear TV from the US Open plus every match from every court will be available to fans via the ESPN App, with Saturday night’s telecast highlighted by No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal being challenged by veteran Richard Gasquet in a third-round match. The action each day begins at 11 a.m. ET – on ESPN2 Saturday and on ESPN Sunday and Monday, transitioning to ESPN2 at 7 p.m. each day – and will continue until play is concluded.  

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