Australian Open 2026: How to watch the Jessica Pegula vs. Elena Rybakina match

American Jessica Pegula is still reaching for her first Grand Slam title, and she’s getting close. Pegula defeated Amanda Anisimova yesterday in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and will now face Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina bright and early Thursday morning in the women’s semifinal. Rybakina ousted No. 2 Iga Swiatek in their quarterfinal match yesterday.

The semifinal match will likely begin sometime after 5 a.m. ET, once the other women’s semi between Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina concludes. Pegula vs. Rybakina will stream live on ESPN Unlimited and be broadcast on ESPN. Here’s what you need to know about the Pegula vs. Rybakina semifinal match at the 2026 Australian Open.

How to watch Jessica Pegula vs. Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open:

Date: Thursday, Jan. 29

Time (estimated): not before 5 a.m. ET

Location: Rod Laver Arena

TV channel: ESPN, re-air at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV, Fubo and more

When is the Jessica Pegula vs. Elena Rybakina match at the 2026 Australian Open?

The semifinal match between Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open will be on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026.

Jessica Pegula vs. Elena Rybakina match start time:

The match between Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina will not start before 5 a.m. ET. The match will be available live on ESPN Unlimited, once the match between Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina is over. The match will also be broadcast live on ESPN, and will re-air on ESPN2 at 3 p.m. ET.

Australian Open channel:

In the U.S., the entire Australian Open tournament is streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. ESPN will broadcast the semifinals and final matches.

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 7 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 5 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 10 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

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? Don’t worry, 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

Tuesday, January 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, January 28

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

Thursday, January 29

(Day 12) Women’s Semifinals: 3:00 a.m.
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 8:00 p.m.

Friday, January 30

(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 3:30 a.m.

Saturday, January 31

(Day 14) Women’s Final: 3:30 a.m.

Sunday, February 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 for the Australian Open 2026

1. Carlos Alcaraz

2. Jannik Sinner

3. Alexander Zverev

4. Novak Djokovic

5. Felix Auger-Aliassime

Women’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026

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 of the Australian Open each get $4,150,000, with the runner-up receiving $2,150,000 and Semi-finalists $1,250,000.

More ways to watch the 2026 Australian Open:

Sling TV’s Day Pass gives consumers the freedom to watch what they want, when they 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 commitments necessary. No strings attached.

$4.99/day at Sling