The tennis season this year has been full of ups and downs. For the first time in decades, the sport spent the vast majority of an entire year without seeing either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal taking to the court. Young bucks stepped up to try and take their place, and old heads like Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were still around to entertain. It's been a great season, and there is one more event left to cap it all off. The ATP finals will begin this Sunday and run for a week, as we determine the winner of this year's tour.
But, how do you go about watching it? Well, if you're in North America, that might be a little tricky. You can opt for a paid option, like the Tennis Channel. Or, you can stick with this article, and find out how to catch all the action for free.
What is the ATP Tour?
The ATP Tour, or the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour, is a professional men's tennis circuit. It is organized by the ATP, which is the governing body for the men's professional tennis worldwide. The ATP Tour includes a series of tournaments held throughout the year, with players earning ranking points based on their performance in these events.
The tournaments on the ATP Tour vary in terms of their significance and the number of ranking points awarded. The most prestigious events are the Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Other significant tournaments include the ATP Tour Masters 1000 series and the ATP Tour 500 series.
The ATP Tour provides a platform for male tennis players to compete at the highest level and accumulate ranking points to determine their standings in the ATP Rankings. The top-ranked players often receive direct entry into major tournaments, and the rankings also play a role in determining seedings for these events. The ATP Tour contributes to the overall development and promotion of professional men's tennis globally.
This year's final will be taking place in Turin, Italy, and will last for one week.
How to Watch the ATP Finals for Free?
If you're a huge tennis fan but you don't want to shell out the $11 a month for the Tennis Channel, then you can be a bit sneaky and use a VPN to bypass some geo-restrictions and watch the action as if you were in the UK. Why the UK? Because Prime Video has all the rights to ATP tennis in the UK, and they also offer a 30 day free trial. You can do the math from there.
Here's a step-by-step on how to do it.
- Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN, like ExpressVPN
- Download the app on your preferred device (compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more).
- Open the app and connect to any server in the United Kingdom
- Sign-up for Prime Video 30-day free trial (don't forget to cancel your trial before the 30 days are up, otherwise you will be charged)
- Clear your cache if you encounter any issues
- Enjoy the competition
Which VPN Should I Choose?
If you need a deeper dive, check out our roundup of the best VPNs.
People can sometimes see the yearly subscription cost of a VPN and shy away. It might look like a lot on paper, but in reality you are getting a lot for your money.
You can unlock geo-restricted content from anywhere in the world and enjoy a whole new world of movies and TV-shows without having to pay extra for them.
They are also incredibly useful beyond just bypassing geoblocking. They're great for avoiding server issues on games or restrictive skill-based-matchmaking (SBMM), online data encryption, shielding your identity, lightning-quick connectivity, and ensuring access to otherwise restricted sites. It's a seriously good investment.
One of the very best VPN deals going right now is for ExpressVPN. They've currently got a great deal on. Sign up today and you'll get yourself 49% off their 1-year deal. You'll also be getting an additional 3-months free. So at the equivalent of $6.67 per month, you're getting 15-months of coverage under one of the best VPNs available at the moment.
Subscribers also get a generous 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can watch the ATP finals on your Prime Video trial, and then end your subscription and get your money back, no questions asked.