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The Australian Open delivered strong viewership growth for ESPN, even in the middle of the night.
The men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic drew 730,000 viewers Sunday on ESPN, per Nielsen data. It’s a 57% increase from last year’s final between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev, despite a 3:30 a.m. ET start time.
It was the most-watched Australian Open men’s final since 2017, when Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal in a five-set thriller that drew 1.1 million U.S. viewers.
This year’s final featured two compelling storylines. Alcaraz, 22, was looking to become the youngest man to ever win a career Grand Slam, while Djokovic, 38, was chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title, which has never been achieved by any tennis pro, man or woman.
Alcaraz ultimately defeated Djokovic in four sets to claim his first Australian Open title and his first career Grand Slam.
The women’s final between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka also saw a slight viewership bump, drawing 487,000 viewers, an 8% increase from 2025. Last year’s final featured American star Madison Keys upsetting Sabalenka, who was a two-time defending champion.
The full tournament delivered an average of 303,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2, and the ESPN app, up 29% from last year. But fans grew frustrated at ESPN’s tiered streaming system for the Australian Open, with fans needing to purchase ESPN Unlimited at $29.99 to have full access to games on the three main courts at Melbourne Park.
ESPN did not reveal how much the Australian Open added to ESPN Unlimited subscriber count.
The 2026 Australian Open also set an attendance record as 1.37 million visited Melbourne Park for the three-week Grand Slam, up 12% from last year. The tournament saw a record 1.15 million attendees during the 15-day main draw, up from 1.1 million last year.
The largest change came during the qualifying week, as the tournament drew 217,999 fans, 87% more than last year.
