Wimbledon 2021 is in full swing at the All England Club in London, but how can viewers watch the tennis Grand Slam championships? The most prestigious of all the tennis tournaments returns in 2021 after a year on hiatus, with the 2020 championships being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2021 Wimbledon Championships will be the 134th edition of the tournament, and the 127th including the women's tournament.
Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam to be played on grass courts, with the others each having their own surface (clay for the Roland Garros French Open, Rebound Ace for the Australian Open, and hard surface for the US Open). The tournament is renowned for having several legacy rules still in place, including an all-white dress code.
The 2021 Wimbledon tournament will see the return of big names to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, including Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep, who will be defending their 2019 titles, as well as Roger Federer, Serena Williams, and Ashleigh Barty. Some players, including Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka, will forgo participation at Wimbledon this year to prepare for their upcoming Olympic events. But there will still be plenty of tennis to enjoy – here's how to watch Wimbledon 2021.
How To Watch Wimbledon 2021
In the United States Wimbledon will be broadcast live on cable channels ESPN and ESPN2, and on streaming platform ESPN3, with coverage of matches also streaming on ESPN+. Note that some of the major matches will not be accessible on ESPN+, and are only available to view to those with a compatible television service such as a cable subscription, or a service like Sling TV or fuboTV.
In the UK, Wimbledon will be broadcast on the BBC, as well as iPlayer, allowing viewer with a TV license to watch all the action. Through BBC iPlayer, or by using the Red Button function, audiences can choose any of the 18 courts to watch live, allowing for great flexibility in choosing which matches to catch. Other countries will also broadcast Wimbledon, including on 9Now and Stan Sport in Australia; and TSN in Canada.
What Time Is Wimbledon On?
The tournament started on Monday, June 28, and will continue until Sunday, July 11, with the traditional day of rest taking place on Sunday, 4 July. In the United States, coverage of Wimbledon commences at 6 am ET on ESPN, before switching to ESPN2 at 11.30 am ET until 4.30 pm. In the UK, coverage will run throughout the day on the BBC – check the schedule for full details. Wherever viewers find themselves, there's plenty of quality tennis to catch by watching Wimbledon 2021.