ATP Cup live stream 2021: how to watch every set of the tennis online from anywhere

(Image credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

The ATP Cup is one of the newest and most unusual competitions on the tennis calendar. Launched last year, it's a team tournament that only the countries with the highest ranking men's players can qualify for and - just like in 2020 - though we can no loinger get a pre-Aussie Open showdown between world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the final this weekend, as Rafa pulled out of his opening match injury. Read on, as we've compiled this handy guide for getting a 2021 ATP Cup tennis live stream online wherever you are right now.

2021 ATP Cup live stream

Dates: Tuesday, February 2 - Sunday, February 6

Day session start time: 10am AEDT / 11pm GMT / 6pm ET / 3pm PT

Evening session start time: 5.30pm AEDT / 6.30am GMT / 1.30am ET / 10.30pm PT

Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne

Free live stream: 9Now (opens in new tab) (Australia)

Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free (opens in new tab)

Russia and Italy have already sealed semi-final berths for the weekend, with Spain and Serbia expected to follow. Last year, Novak beat Rafa as Serbia overcame Spain in last year's final, but this year's competition should be much stronger, with starlets Dominic Thiem (Austria), Daniil Medvedev (Russia), Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) and Alexander Zverev (Germany) looking primed to challenge the ATP circuit's dominant forces.

Teams Spain, Russia, Italy and Canada all feature two players ranked in the top 20 - Russia's secondary player, Andrey Rublev, is the world No. 8 - which makes them all serious contenders.

However, the ATP Cup isn't just about individuals. Last year, 14 ties were decided by doubles matches and Australia, captained by Lleyton Hewitt, have some serious doubles firepower in their corner, in John Peers and Luke Saville, to complement their solid singles lineup.

If you've never watched the ATP Cup before, it's very different to the other tennis tournaments in terms of its format, so scroll down for a full breakdown of how it works. Follow our 2021 ATP Cup live stream guide below to watch all the tennis online this week - including how to watch the ATP Cup on 100% FREE TV in host country Australia, even if you're an Aussie abroad.

Related: how to watch an Australian Open live stream

How to live stream 2021 ATP Cup tennis for FREE in Australia

Aussie tennis fans can watch all of the ATP Cup action without paying a penny thanks to Channel 9 (opens in new tab), which is completely FREE to watch.

You can also live stream the tennis on 9Now (opens in new tab). All you need to do is register with your email address and provide your local, Australian ZIP code.

Play starts at 10am AEDT each morning, while the evening sessions begin at 5.30pm.

If you're currently out of the country but want to catch that free ATP Cup coverage on Channel 9, you'll need to get yourself a VPN (opens in new tab), as explained above.

How to get a 2021 ATP Cup live stream from outside your country

For your viewing options in the US, UK, Australia and Canada, we have more details below - just scroll down the page.

But if you try to watch your domestic coverage from somewhere outside your home country, you'll soon find a problem... geo-blocking. That's where the broadcaster prevents you from watching your usual feed from abroad and is a common problem for sports fans all over the world.

Fortunately, there's an easy solution.

Use a VPN to watch ATP Cup tennis online from abroad

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2021 ATP Cup live stream: how to watch ATP Tour tennis online in the US

In the US, ATP Cup coverage comes courtesy of the Tennis Channel (opens in new tab). As it's a cable-based service, in order to tune in you need to be a paying customer... or have a good over-the-top streaming service that costs a fraction of the price!

Of the many and varied options, the best for tennis fans is Sling TV. The upcoming Australian Open is being shown on both ESPN and the Tennis Channel and the Sling Orange package (opens in new tab) with a Sports Extra add-on features both for just $50 a month - but you can get the first month for only $40.

That's much less than the competition and WAY less than cable!

The ATP Cup day session action kicks off at 6pm ET/3pm PT, but the evening sessions start at the more awkward time of 1.30am ET/10.30pm PT.

New or existing subscribers to US streaming services can still access the platform of their choice from abroad, too - all you need is the help of a good VPN (opens in new tab).

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Free ATP Cup live stream 2021: how to watch the tennis in the UK today

Try Amazon Prime FREE for 30 days (opens in new tab)
Amazon has the rights to broadcast the ATP Cup tennis in the UK, so Amazon Prime (opens in new tab) members can live stream all the action at no additional cost. But be prepared for some extremely late nights, with play starting at 11pm GMT.

If you want to stream the tennis from your phone or tablet, the Amazon Prime Video app is available for Android via Google Play and Apple devices via the App Store.

Amazon Prime membership costs £79 per year or £7.99 per month, which can be cancelled at any time. The subscription will get you access to Amazon's library of TV shows and films as well as unlimited one-day delivery on Amazon orders from the UK.

New users can sign up for a FREE 30-day Amazon Prime trial (opens in new tab) with full access to live sports coverage as well as free one-day delivery on purchases from Amazon's online store during that time.

Not in the UK but still want to watch the tennis on your Prime account? Your best option is to download and install a VPN (opens in new tab) and then log in to a UK IP address.

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How to watch ATP tennis: live stream the 2021 ATP Cup in Canada

In Canada, coverage of the 2020 ATP Cup is being provided by TSN (opens in new tab), with the day session action getting underway at 6pm ET/3pm PT each day, and the evening sessions starting at 1.30am ET/10.30pm PT.

If you get TSN as part of your cable deal, you'll just be able to log in with the details of your provider and get access to an ATP Cup live stream. If you don't have cable, then you can subscribe to TSN (opens in new tab) on a streaming-only basis from just CA$4.99 a day or (much better value) $19.99 a month.

Take your favorite streams with you wherever you go - just grab a quality VPN (opens in new tab) and follow the instructions above.

2021 ATP Cup format

The 2021 ATP Cup features 12 teams, split into four groups of three, which were determined by seeding.

Each team will play the other teams in its group once, with each tie a best-of-three comprising two singles matches and one doubles match. The first match will be contested by the teams' No. 2-ranked players, the second will be contested by their top-ranked players, with the doubles match to follow.

Even if the tie has been decided after the two singles matches, the doubles match will be played - unless it's the final.

The winners of each group will play a semi-final knockout tie to determine the final.

2021 ATP Cup groups

Group A

Serbia
Germany
Canada

Group B

Spain
Greece
Australia

Group C

Austria
Italy - winners
France

Group D

Russia - winners
Argentina
Japan

Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.

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