Australian Open 2026: How to watch the Coco Gauff vs. Kamilla Rakhimova match tonight

Coco Gauff will step onto the court for her first round match at the 2026 Australian Open tonight, where she'll face Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova. Gauff is ranked No. 3 in the world, with two Grand Slam wins under her belt. Kamilla Rakhimova is currently ranked 57. The pair will face off in Rod Laver Arena tonight, with an estimated start time of 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Tournament coverage will air across ESPN and ESPN2. The entire tournament will be available to stream on ESPN+ for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Here's what you need to know about watching the 2026 Australian Open.

How to watch Coco Gauff play tonight:

Date: Sunday, January 18

Advertisement

Time (estimated): 7:30 p.m. ET

Location: Rod Laver Arena

TV channel: ESPN2

Streaming: ESPN+

When does Coco Gauff play at the 2026 Australian Open?

Coco Gauff vs. Kamilla Rakhimova play their first round at the Australian Open tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Coco Gauff vs. Kamilla Rakhimova match start time:

In the U.S., the first round match between Gauff and Rakhimova is estimated to start around 7:30 p.m. ET.

Australian Open channel:

In the U.S., the Australian Open will air on ESPN, with the entire tournament streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. Select tournament coverage will also air on ESPN2, before moving to ESPN for the semifinals and beyond.

Advertisement

How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:

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.

Australian Open 2026 schedule:

All times Eastern

Advertisement

Saturday, January 17

(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 18

(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.

(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.

Monday, January 19

(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.

(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, January 20

(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.

(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, January 21

(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.

(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 22

(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.

(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.

Friday, January 23

(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.

(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 24

(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.

(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 25

(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.

(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.

Monday, January 26

(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.

(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.

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.

(Day 12) Women’s Semifinals: 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 29

(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

Advertisement

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:

Click here to read article