How to watch Davis Cup Finals 2021: live stream guide, time, format and more
The World Cup of tennis promises twists and turns aplenty
Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev switch individual accolades for national pride in the long-delayed Davis Cup Finals, the last major honor of the 2021 tennis season. It's a rapid-fire festival of tennis like no other, so read to find out how to watch a Davis Cup Finals live stream from anywhere - including ways to watch the tennis absolutely FREE.
Dates: November 25 - December 5
Daily start times: 10am CET / 9am GMT / 4am ET / 1am PT / 8pm AEDT / 10pm NZDT (full schedule below)
Venues: Madrid Arena, Madrid, Spain; Pala Alpitour, Turin, Italy; Olympiahalle, Innsbruck, Austria
FREE live stream: 9Now (AU)
Global live streams: Davis Cup TV (AU, CA, US, UK) | Discovery+ (UK) | CBS Sports Network via fuboTV FREE trial (US) | SN Now+ (CA)
Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free
The iconic punchbowl trophy hasn't been seen in Russia since the days of Nikolay Davydenko and Marat Safin, but they're going to take some stopping with world No. 2 Medvedev and no. 5 Andrey Rublev leading the team.
Djokovic's Serbia, Jannik Sinner's Italy, and Cameron Norrie's Great Britain are shaping up as three outside bets for glory, though Canada, Germany and reigning champions Spain, much-fancied in the early stages, have found themselves hamstrung by injuries and withdrawals.
But one or two brilliant individuals can only get you so far, and Colombia, Croatia and France, while lacking some of the stardust of the other nations, boast some of the finest doubles specialists in the world. And despite the absence of Rafael Nadal, Spain can call on a deeper pool of talent than anyone else.
Who will emerge victorious from the World Cup of tennis? Here's how you can live stream Davis Cup Finals 2021 tennis from wherever you are in the world.
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How to watch a Davis Cup Finals live stream from outside your country
If you're abroad during the Davis Cup Finals, you'll likely find you're unable to access your domestic tennis coverage like you would at home. This isn't necessarily cause for alarm, but rather the result of geo-blocking - best understood as digital borders that restrict certain services and content to certain parts of the world.
Fortunately, there's a convenient way around this in the form of a VPN. This is a nifty bit of software that lets you swerve around these digital borders, thereby allowing you to globe trot and still access your preferred tennis live stream. It's a completely legal workaround, very affordable, and super easy to use - allow us to explain more.
Use a VPN to watch a 2021 Davis Cup Finals live stream from anywhere
ExpressVPN - get the world's best VPN
We've put all the major VPNs through their paces and we rate ExpressVPN as our top pick, thanks to its speed, ease of use and strong security features. It's also compatible with just about any streaming device out there, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as Android and Apple mobiles.
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Using a VPN is as easy as one-two-three...
1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top choice is ExpressVPN
2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location
3. Go to the broadcaster's live stream - so if you're from Australia, just head to 9Now
How to watch 2021 Davis Cup Finals tennis: live stream in the US
CBS has the rights to the Davis Cup in the US, and coverage of the tournament has been split between CBS Sports Network and the CBS Sports app.
The early sessions typically start at 3am ET / 12am PT each day, while the later sessions tend to begin at the much more reasonable hour of 10am ET / 7am PT.
How to watch Davis Cup Finals without cable
If you haven't already got CBS Sports Network as part of your cable package, you should know that it's also available on a streaming-only basis via fuboTV for $64.99 a month after a 7-day FREE trial.
The over-the-top streaming service offers more than 100 channels, is really easy to sign up for, and can be cancelled no questions asked.
Alternatively, there's Davis Cup TV, which is offering coverage of every match for €39.99.
If you're outside the US right now you can always use a good VPN to get access to your home coverage.
How to live stream Davis Cup Finals tennis for FREE in Australia
Aussie tennis fans can watch Davis Cup Finals action without paying a penny, thanks to Channel 9 and 9Gem, which are FREE to watch.
That means you can also fire up a Davis Cup live stream on the 9Now streaming service, which is completely free to use too.
The only downside is that all of the action is being shown in the early hours of the morning, with 9Gem's coverage typically starting at 2am AEDT.
If that doesn't scratch your tennis itch, you can instead subscribe to Davis Cup TV, which is live streaming every match from every tie from every round of the action.
There are several different packages available, but the €39.99 yearly subscription arguably offers the best value for money.
If you're currently out of Australia but want to watch a Davis Cup live stream, you'll need to get yourself a VPN.
Davis Cup Finals live stream 2021: how to watch tennis in the UK
Tennis fans in the UK can tune into the Davis Cup Finals on streaming service Discovery+, which you can subscribe to for £6.99 per month or £59.99 per year.
And unlike the broadcasters in most other countries, Discovery+ is providing comprehensive coverage of the tournament, with every match from every round being shown.
If you’re out of the UK but still want to tune in, make sure you install a VPN so you can continue accessing UK streaming services from anywhere.
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How to live stream Davis Cup Finals 2021 and watch tennis online in Canada
Sportsnet is the channel to tune in to for Davis Cup Finals coverage in Canada, though it's only showing games involving Team Canada.
The channel also offers a streaming-only service in the form of Sportsnet NOW, the premium tier of which, SN NOW+, costs $34.99 per month or $249.99 annually. You can also sign up for regular SN NOW for $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year.
Hardcore tennis fans can instead get comprehensive Davis Cup coverage from Davis Cup TV, which costs €39.99 annually.
If you're unable to tune in due to geo-blocking restrictions, remember that a VPN is all you need to tune back in to your preferred Davis Cup coverage wherever you are.
Davis Cup Finals 2021 teams
The 2021 Davis Cup Finals is being contested by 18 teams, which have been split into six groups of three.
Group A
- Spain
- Russia
- Ecuador
Group B
- Canada
- Kazakhstan
- Sweden
Group C
- France
- Great Britain
- Czech Republic
Group D
- Croatia
- Australia
- Hungary
Group E
- United States
- Italy
- Colombia
Group F
- Serbia
- Germany
- Austria
Davis Cup Finals format
Each team faces off against the other two teams in their groups in a round robin format, after which the six group winners and two best-placed runners-up progress to the knockout stage.
The ties themselves comprise two singles matches and one doubles match, called "rubbers", each of which are best-of-three sets.
Davis Cup Finals 2021 schedule
All times are GMT.
GROUP STAGE
Thursday, November 25
- 3pm - Canada vs Sweden
- 3pm - France vs Czech Republic
- 3pm - Croatia vs Australia
Friday, November 26
- 3pm - Spain vs Ecuador
- 3pm - Serbia vs Austria
- 3pm - USA vs Italy
Saturday, November 27
- 9am - Kazakhstan vs Sweden
- 9am - France vs GB
- 9am - Australia vs Hungary
- 3pm - Russia vs Ecuador
- 3pm - Serbia vs Germany
- 3pm - Italy vs Colombia
Sunday, November 28
- 9am - Canada vs Kazakhstan
- 9am - GB vs Czech Republic
- 9am - Croatia vs Hungary
- 3pm - Spain vs Russia
- 3pm - Germany vs Austria
- 3pm - USA vs Colombia
KNOCKOUTS
Quarter-finals
Monday, November 29
- 3pm - Group D Winner vs Group E Winner
Tuesday, November 30
- 3pm - Group C Winner vs Group F Winner
Wednesday, December 1
- 3pm - Group B Winner vs Runner-Up 1
Thursday, December 2
- 3pm - Group A Winner vs Runner-Up 2
Semi-finals
Friday, December 3
- 3pm - Semi-Final 1
Saturday, December 4
- 12pm - Semi-Final 2
DAVIS CUP FINALS 2021 FINAL
Sunday, December 5
- 3pm - Final
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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.