Wimbledon 2019 has already been a tournament to remember, but it’s not over yet. The semi-finals on July 12 promise a rematch between long-time rivals Federer and Nadal. Will Federer continue to dominate Wimbledon or will Nadal take home the championship for the first time since 2010? Looking to live stream the Wimbledon semi-finals online from abroad? Take a look below to find out how to watch Federer vs. Nadal for free, from anywhere.
Note that this guide will only recommend official Wimbledon broadcasters. Given how popular the Wimbledon tennis tournament is, unlicensed streams are almost inevitable. However, we strongly advise against using these. The video quality is often very poor, for a start, and unauthorized streams can be taken offline without warning for copyright violation. There are several legitimate ways to stream Federer vs. Nadal for free anyway, meaning there’s no reason to use unreliable, third-party streams.
You’ll need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to watch Federer vs. Nadal online for free if you’re outside the UK, the USA, or Australia.
How to watch Federer vs. Nadal from abroad using a VPN
With a VPN, it’s very simple to access region-locked streaming services from abroad. Follow the steps below to unblock and stream the Federer vs. Nadal match live online, from anywhere:
- Start by signing up for a VPN if you haven’t already. We recommend ExpressVPN although NordVPN and CyberGhost are both strong, low-cost alternatives.
- Download and install the VPN software. There are often different versions for various devices so be sure to get the right one.
- Decide which geo-restricted service you’d like to watch Wimbledon on.
- Connect to one of your VPN’s servers in the appropriate country. You’ll need an American server to unblock ESPN, for example, or an Australian server for 7plus.
- Try loading a video on your chosen service. It should begin right away but if not, clear your browser’s cookies and cache then refresh the page.
As the Wimbledon semi-final between Federer and Nadal will be broadcast live, it’s important to make sure your VPN works well in advance. This way, if you run into any unexpected problems, you’ll have time to get help from your VPN’s customer support team and might not have to miss the start of the match.
How to live stream Federer vs. Nadal online for free on Australian TV
Australian fans can live stream the entire Wimbledon tournament, including Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal, for free on 7plus. Better still, users don’t even have to create an account, so you can start watching immediately. There is one slight catch, though: this platform is geo-restricted, meaning you will need an Australian IP address to stream anything.
Luckily, it’s easy to get an Australian IP address from abroad with a VPN: just connect to an Australian server. If you don’t have a VPN yet, you might want to consider ExpressVPN: it comes with a risk-free, 30-day money-back guarantee. As such, you’ll be able to live stream Nadal vs. Federer online, and if you’re unsatisfied or only needed a VPN for this one event, you can just cancel afterwards to receive a full refund.
How to watch Federer vs. Nadal live and for free on UK TV
The 2019 Wimbledon tournament will be shown exclusively on BBC1 in the UK. The good news is that this means you can watch Federer vs. Nadal free of charge on BBC iPlayer. You will have to register beforehand, but this is simple and just requires you to enter your email address and a British postal code.
You should note that British law requires you to have a TV license if you use BBC iPlayer or if you stream content online as it’s shown on TV. However, despite this, BBC iPlayer works entirely on an honor system and doesn’t actually verify whether you have a license or not.
BBC iPlayer has very strict geo-restriction features, and as a result, some VPNs struggle to unblock it. If you find this is the case, you might have better luck watching on TVPlayer instead: this platform has a free BBC1 stream, but far less strict geo-blocking. To access either service abroad, you’ll have to connect to one of your VPN’s British servers.
Where else can I live stream the Federer vs. Nadal match online?
Wimbledon is one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world, so it’s only natural that there’d be broadcasters in several countries. Below, we explain how to watch Federer vs. Nadal wherever you are:
USA
ESPN has been America’s exclusive Wimbledon broadcaster since 2011, which is good news for US tennis fans, since they can catch all the action live in one place. If your cable TV package includes ESPN, you’ll be able to log in to the ESPN website and watch Federer vs. Nadal live online at no added cost.
Don’t have cable? Not a problem. Currently, DirecTV Now, Hulu with Live TV, PlayStation Vue, Sling TV, and YouTube TV all let you stream ESPN live online. These services tend to be pretty expensive, but all offer a trial (one week, but five days for PlayStation Vue). This means you can effectively watch Wimbledon 2019 online for free as long as you remember to cancel before the trial ends.
All of the services above are region-locked, and some only accept payment methods linked to an American address. This makes it near-impossible to register unless you usually live in the US, although existing subscribers can access these platforms abroad using a VPN.
Canada
TSN and RDS will both be broadcasting the Wimbledon semi-finals live, with RDS offering Canada’s only French-language coverage of these matches. If either of these channels is included in your cable TV package, you’re free to log in to the appropriate website and start streaming immediately at no added cost.
Luckily, as both of these streaming services offer online-only passes, Canadian fans can watch Federer vs. Nadal without cable. Monthly passes cost $19.99 CAD each. That said, as there are only a few days left of the tournament, the least expensive way to watch is to buy daily passes for $4.99 each.
Both of these services are geo-restricted and only available in Canada. However, existing customers can use these services as normal from abroad by connecting to a Canadian VPN server.
Switzerland
Fans in Federer’s home country can watch the Wimbledon semi-finals live and free of charge on various SRG channels: SRF will have German-language coverage, RTS will be in French, and RSI will be in Italian. None of these platforms requires you to create an account, so you can start watching immediately.
beIN Sports provides French coverage, but this service costs €15 per month and doesn’t include a trial. Given that other platforms are providing free live streams, there’s really no reason to sign up.
All of the services above are region-locked. This means that to use them, you’ll either have to be in Switzerland or using a Swiss VPN server.
Other locations
If we didn’t mention your country above, don’t panic. Wimbledon is airing live in dozens of countries, so there’s still a good chance you’ll be able to watch. Take a look at Wimbledon’s list of international broadcasters to find a legitimate, local source, wherever you are in the world.
Remember: if no network is showing the Federer vs. Nadal match in your region (or, if there’s no way to watch without a subscription to a particular cable provider, like in Spain), you can simply access a free streaming service from another country such as BBC iPlayer or 7plus. You’ll have to connect to a VPN server in the required country first, though.
Who’s more likely to win: Federer or Nadal?
Federer vs. Nadal is set to be one of the most memorable matches of the whole tournament. These two players have a long-standing rivalry, and Nadal has won 24 of their 39 matches. Of course, Nadal is known as the “King of Clay,” and this time around, they’ll be playing on grass, which is Federer’s specialty. This could be why Federer has won Wimbledon eight times, and Nadal just twice.
Realistically, this match is too close to call. Nadal has been on peak form lately, beating his rival handily at the French Open. However, Federer’s short match on grass is second-to-none. It’s almost certainly going to be a long, drawn-out match, but which tennis player is left standing at the end is anyone’s guess.
