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Wimbledon - the pinnacle of the tennis season - is not only a riveting global sporting sensation but a British institution with a history stretching back to the 19th century (where it was intrinsically linked with croquet at the now-famous grounds).
This year, the qualifying period for Wimbledon is running between 13 to 16 June and The Championships are set to take place between 20 June and 3 July. At this very early stage, Rafael Nadal is a favourite at the bookies by a yard mile, as is Serena Williams for the Women's Championship.
As well as the excitement generated through the two-week long Championships, the tournament sees people the world over having a little flutter. As it's a sport famous for David and Goliath matches, with underdogs sometimes trouncing hot favourites, Wimbledon betting odds often fluctuate wildly from long before the qualifying matches to the very last serve in the finals. This level of unpredictability has seen a punter stake £120,000 on this year's preceding French Open match. The unnamed man has placed 27 bets on a variety of sports in rapid succession, having built up his £161,000 pot from just £8,400 back in March.
One thing that isn't a safe bet when it comes to The Championships is the weather. Typically temperamental, the state of Britain's summer is anyone's guess until it actually arrives although the Met Office do a reasonable job at trying to predict what tennis fans can expect. Since 2009, steps were taken to mitigate the effects of rain and a retractable roof was installed to shelter the centre court (which is also used in the unlikely event of scorching sunshine).
If you're planning to grab a seat at this year's Wimbledon, expect prices to vary wildly - a favourable seat at centre court for the finals can set you back over £3,000, though it is possible to bag a run-of-the-mill seat for between £10 to £50. Even if you have deep enough pockets, however, it's not always easy to procure Wimbledon tickets.
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