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Looking to equal Margaret Court with a record 24th Grand Slam title, Serena Williams takes on Naomi Osaka in the 2018 U.S. Open final on Saturday afternoon.
The match is scheduled to start at about 4 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including all the ESPN channels. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
ESPN and ESPN 2 are both included in the “Sling Orange” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can also watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
Preview
Serena has more Grand Slam titles (23) than Osaka has years on this Earth (20). Before this tournament started, she had more US Open titles (six) than Osaka had US Open singles match wins (four). She has played in 30 Grand Slam titles. On Saturday, Osaka will be playing in her first.
As such, it’s not too difficult to see why Serena, widely considered the greatest of all-time, is such a substantial favorite.
But let’s not act like Osaka doesn’t belong here. Quickly rising as one of the best players on Tour and not just one of the best young players on Tour, Osaka captured her first Premier Mandatory title at the Indian Wells Open in March, beating Top-10 players Karolina Pliskova and Simona Halep in the process. Inconsistency has plagued her since, which isn’t surprising for a 20-year-old, but she has been downright dominant this tournament, dropping just one set through six matches.
Also working in Osaka’s favor, she beat Serena earlier this year at the Miami Open in what is the only prior head-to-head matchup between the two. That was very early in Serena’s comeback, so it’s hard to take a lot from that match, which Osaka dominated in two sets, but it can still nevertheless serve as a confidence booster for the youngster who will be battling nerves.
All that said, Serena has the advantage in experience–to a comical degree. And if she plays anywhere close to the top of her game, she has the advantage in skills. Osaka may be the future of this sport, but Serena is the present (and probably still a little bit of the future, too), and it’s difficult to imagine her being bested when she aims for history on Saturday.
No matter what happens, though, it’s a thoroughly captivating matchup between two players at opposite points in their careers. And if they both play like they have the last two weeks in New York, it’s going to be a thrilling clash that likely goes three sets.
In other words, you don’t want to miss this.