Tennis in the COVID-19 era is finally off to a start. The WTA Tour kicked off recently and some of the top players have already found some match practice. The ATP Tour is less than a week away from resumption after a 175-day hiatus. A lot of debate and speculation is finally set to culminate in some tennis action. The Western and Southern Open main draw kicks off on August 22 in New York City. Some of the top male and female stars will be in action at the Masters 1000 event. For the first time ever, the Western and Southern Open will be played at the same venue as the US Open.
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The men’s field
On the men’s side, world number one Novak Djokovic will lead the field. Although Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will not play, world number three Dominic Thiem is part of the field. Defending champion Daniil Medvedev will join him. The likes of Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, and Grigor Dimitrov are also playing. Top seed Djokovic had raised strong doubts about his participation at the Western and Southern Open and US Open, but the recent clarity on rules regarding the quarantine eased his decision.
The women’s field
On the women’s side, just four of the top-10 players will play the event. Karolina Pliskova will be the top seed at the event. Joining her will be Sofia Kenin, Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Petra Kvitova. World number two, Simona Halep recently announced her withdrawal from the New York events.
The defending champion in the men’s singles champion is Daniil Medvedev. Madison Keys won the women’s event in 2019.
No fans in the stadiums
Tennis fans will be itching for some live tennis action from a big tournament. This time, fans will be watching the event from their homes as the tournament will be played behind closed doors. It will also be played in the bio-secure bubble in New York. Fans around the world are wondering how to get a glimpse of the action. Here is where you can catch the action from your respective countries.
Where to watch the Western and Southern Open 2020
| Country | TV Channel |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | MSM (Sony) |
| Bangladesh | MSM (Sony) |
| Bhutan | MSM (Sony) |
| China | CCTV |
| China | Iqiyi |
| Shanghai | Shanghai Media |
| Hong Kong | PCCW |
| India | MSM (Sony) |
| Japan | WOWOW |
| Japan | NHK |
| Japan | Gaora Sports Channel |
| South Korea | Eclat |
| Malaysia | Measat (Astro Supersport) |
| Maldives | MSM (Sony) |
| Nepal | MSM (Sony) |
| Pakistan | MSM (Sony) |
| Philippines | Elite Sport |
| Singapore | Starhub (Supersports) |
| Sri Lanka | MSM (Sony) |
| Taiwan | Sino Catch (Sportcast) |
| Thailand | Cineplex (Truevisions) |
| Vietnam | Canal+ Overseas |
| Israel | Charlton/Sport1 |
| MENA | BeIn Sport |
| Brazil | Globosat |
| Canada | Tennis Canada/Rogers Sportsnet |
| Canada | TSN |
| Caribbean | ESPN International |
| South America | ESPN International |
| United States | Tennis Channel |
| United States | ESPN (Indian Wells, Miami, Nitto ATP Finals) |
| United States | ESPN (Canada, Cincinnati) |
| Africa | Canal+ Overseas/Africa |
| Africa | Supersport |
| MENA | BeIn Sport |
| Australasia | ESPN International |
| Albania | Supersport |
| Andorra | Sogecable/Telefonica (Movistar) |
| Andorra | TVE (Siccative) |
| Austria | Sky Deutschland |
| Belgium | BeTV |
| Belgium | Telenet (Play Sports) |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | United Media (IKO Sportklub) |
| Bulgaria | MTEL/A1 |
| Croatia | United Media (IKO Sportklub) |
| Cyprus | CYTA |
| Czech Republic | Tolano (Digi Sport) |
| Denmark | Modern Times Group (TV3) |
| Finland | MTV3 |
| France | Eurosport |
| France | Canal+ |
| Georgia | Silk Media |
| Georgia | Adjara |
| Germany | Sky Deutschland |
| Greece | Hellenic (OTE TV) |
| Hungary | RCS & RDS (Digisport) |
| Italy, San Marino & Vatican City | Sky Italia |
| Kosovo | Supersport |
| Lichtenstein | Sky Deutschland |
| Luxembourg | BeTV |
| Luxembourg | Sky Deutschland |
| Montenegro | United Media (IKO Sportklub) |
| Netherlands | Fox Sports |
| North Macedonia | United Media (IKO Sportklub) |
| Norway | Modern Times Group (Viaplay) |
| Poland | Polsat |
| Portugal | Sport TV |
| Romania | RCS & RDS (Digisport) |
| Russia | Eurosport |
| Serbia | RTS |
| Serbia | United Media (IKO Sportklub) |
| Slovakia | Tolano (Digi Sport) |
| Slovenia | United Media (IKO Sportklub) |
| Spain | Sogecable/Telefonica (Movistar) |
| Spain | TVE (Siccative) |
| Switzerland | Sky Deutschland |
| Switzerland | SRG |
| Sweden | Modern Times Group (Viaplay) |
| Turkey | Saran (agent to many channels) |
| United Kingdom & ROI | Amazon Prime Video |
| Worldwide | Tennis TV |
Also read – “He Is Right” – Former Grand Slam Champion Defends Rafael Nadal’s Decision to Skip US Open 2020