Wimbledon is the third of four Grand Slam events, and has earned a spot in history as the most prestigious. Every tennis pro dreams of winning a Grand Slam title, and the one that most regard in the highest esteem is Wimbledon.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club has hosted the Wimbledon Championships for more than 125 years. A lot has changed over the years, but some things remain the same. It is, after all, a private club for the rich a famous, and there is a tradition to uphold. You don’t play there without an invitation, the men are referred to as gentlemen, past champions garner the utmost respect, the dress code calls for primarily white tennis attire, and the ladies will curtsey to the royal box.

Most tennis fans and tour players recognize Wimbledon for it’s history and tradition. The club has done well to maintain the honor and stature it was founded with long ago. Pete Sampras has been a favorite over the years because he understands and respects the history, just a few things he’s learned after winning seven titles. The club was slow in warming to Serena Williams until she showed that same respect.

Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam played on grass. The slick, low-bounding surface traditionally favors a serve-volley player. Baseliners have recently begun to post better results, and with everyone hitting with more pace these days, the serve-volley players are becoming extinct.

The Wimbledon fortnight begins six weeks before the first Monday in August, and play continues for two weeks, or until all events are completed. Rain often halts play at Wimbledon, often washing out days in a row. There is traditionally no play scheduled on the middle Sunday, it is a Rest Day, but on rare occasion it is necessary to catch up matches.

ESPN and ESPN2 will carry up to 10 hours of coverage daily, with an additional 2 hours of highlights. NBC takes over on 4th of July weekend to cover the women’s final on July 5th and the men’s final on July 6th.

If you don’t have access to TV, or you want to get an update during the day at work, you can watch live results via the Wimbledon website. The site is quite robust with the usual draws and play bio’s, but be sure to check out the Real-Time Scoreboard and on-court webcams.

As the Wimbledon Championships play out, it’s a time when most tennis fans and enthusiasts kick back, relax and watch a little more TV than usual, trying to catch their favorite player in action, or pick up a new tennis move to improve their game.