American tennis supporters have had plenty to celebrate at this year’s Australian Open, with U.S. stars flooding the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park. But instead of enjoying wall-to-wall coverage, many fans found themselves staring at… virtual golf.

Social media erupted after viewers noticed ESPN2 airing alternative programming instead of live Australian Open action, including the highly anticipated Aryna Sabalenka vs. Iva Jovic clash. Frustrated fans questioned why premium tennis content was sidelined, with some even calling on the Australian Open’s official channels for help.

The outrage has been compounded by ESPN’s recent pricing overhaul. Under the new system, ESPN+ subscribers – who previously paid $12.99 per month- now receive only limited coverage. Full access to every Australian Open requires an upgrade to ESPN Unlimited, priced at $29.99 per month.

With temperatures soaring in Melbourne and blockbuster matches such as this one: Aryna Sabalenka vs Iva Jovic drawing global attention, fans believe the broadcast focus should remain firmly on the tennis, not subscription tiers. Here’s what they had to say:

Tennis fans aren’t too pleased with ESPN’s coverage of the Australian Open

With temperatures soaring as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Melbourne, the current world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, ended the 18-year-old American Iva Jovic’s Australian Open dream by defeating her by a 6-3, 6-0 margin in just under 90 minutes in their quarterfinal match.

With this win, Sabalenka has now become just the third player to reach 8+ consecutive women’s singles semifinals at Grand Slams on hard court. But more than her incredible performance, ESPN’s recent fiasco has now become the talk of the town in the tennis world.

One fan expressed frustration, writing, “Last year I could have seen it on @espn plus. but it’s not ESPN plus anymore. It’s ESPN minus. It’s like they don’t want me to see any tennis at all.”

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While ESPN Unlimited is bundled with select providers like DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, Verizon FiOS, Cox, and U-verse, standalone streaming subscribers feel left behind. Many argue the shift unfairly forces loyal tennis fans to pay more for content that was once readily available. Another fan went a step ahead wrote, “ESPN is greedy! What a scam 😤.”

As the 2026 Australian Open heads into its decisive stages, the backlash serves as a reminder: in a sport fighting for mainstream traction, access matters, and fans are watching more than just the matches. “It’s absolutely ridiculous & I’m sitting here watching it waiting for tennis, checking the score on my phone,” read one comment.

But this isn’t the first time that ESPN has landed in controversy while telecasting tennis matches. For example, during the 2024 US Open, tennis legend Paul McNamee claimed that Aryna Sabalenka was subjected to “unnecessary” and “insensitive” footage by ESPN.

The footage in question was taken after Sabalenka’s defeat at the 2023 US Open final against Coco Gauff, where she was seen venting her frustration on her racket in the gym.

Now, reacting to their recent snafu during Aryna Sabalenka’s quarterfinal, a fan wrote, “Yeah I’m not signing up for another f-cking poorly bundled subscription. @espn. May just get rid of plus since that’s was for tennis.”

Just before the start of the Australian Open, fans expressing their frustration on social media after ESPN announced that they parted ways with two longtime tennis experts, Pam Shriver and Brad Gilbert, ahead of the tournament. Now, this incident in the quarterfinal made fans even more annoyed. A few of them tweeted, “Freaking ridiculous.”

As tennis continues to battle for a stronger foothold in mainstream sports culture, moments like this alienate its most passionate supporters. When fans are willing to stay up through the night to watch the Australian Open, the least broadcasters can do is ensure the matches are actually on their screens without forcing them into yet another paywall.