The US Open's mixed doubles competition opens this week at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, with an unusual pairing drawing outsized attention: Serena Williams alongside Carlos Alcaraz. The same day's card also features top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, while qualifying rounds for the men's and women's singles draws continue in parallel. The event, running from August 23 through September 13, is the second-oldest of the four Grand Slam tournaments, tracing its origins back to 1881, behind only Wimbledon.
For viewers outside the United States, or those traveling during the three-week window, access is not always straightforward. ESPN holds exclusive broadcast rights in the US, and international coverage varies by region, often subject to geographic licensing restrictions that block streams for anyone outside the designated territory. Travelers who rely on hotel Wi-Fi or foreign networks frequently find themselves locked out of coverage they'd normally watch at home. This is where a reliable vpn for travel becomes genuinely useful, since routing a connection through a server in the appropriate country can restore access to services tied to a specific location, without requiring a cable subscription. vpn for travel
Cord-cutters in the US have several legitimate paths to ESPN's coverage. DirecTV's base package starts at $59.99 for the first month and includes ESPN Unlimited, while the standalone ESPN Unlimited streaming service runs $29.99 monthly on its own. Fubo bundles ESPN into its Sports plan at $55.99 per month, Sling's Essentials tier includes the channel for $19.99 (with single-day passes available for $4.99), and YouTube TV's Sports Plan costs $64.99 per month. Each option requires the correct sports tier, so it's worth checking channel lineups before subscribing.
Why Geo-Blocking Exists, and How VPNs Work Around It
Broadcast rights for major events are typically sold on a territory-by-territory basis, which means a streaming platform licensed to show the US Open in one country is often contractually barred from showing it elsewhere. Services enforce this through geo-blocking, checking a viewer's IP address and comparing it against regional databases. A VPN encrypts a device's internet traffic and routes it through a server in another location, which changes the IP address the streaming service sees. This doesn't alter the physical location of the user, but it does let the platform believe the connection originates in an approved country. The technique is broadly legal in most jurisdictions, though it can violate the terms of service of individual platforms, and effectiveness varies as streaming providers update their detection systems.
Choosing a service with a wide, well-maintained server network matters more than most casual users assume. Slower or poorly optimized servers can introduce buffering during live coverage, which defeats the purpose entirely when watching a fast-moving competition. Reputable providers also maintain clear no-logging policies, meaning they do not retain records of browsing activity, which is relevant for anyone concerned about privacy beyond simple access to blocked content.
What to Expect This Week
Qualifying rounds for the singles draws run from August 24 to 27, while mixed doubles play continues through August 26. The broader singles competition begins August 30 and runs through the tournament's conclusion, with doubles, junior, and wheelchair events following in the tournament's second and third weeks. This year's mixed doubles field includes several notable pairings beyond Williams and Alcaraz, among them Iga Swiatek with Casper Ruud, Jessica Pegula with Jack Draper, and Venus Williams alongside Alexander Bublik.
The United States leads all nations with 28 players in the main singles draw, including Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Ben Shelton, and Taylor Fritz. Separately, five-time champion Roger Federer will appear in an exhibition on August 25 alongside Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, and John McEnroe, though this falls outside the official competition. A group of rising players, including João Fonseca, Alexandra Eala, and Iva Jovic, will compete in additional exhibition matches on August 27.
