Welcome to Wimbledon

LONDON—It’s the calm before the most beautiful of storms at the All England Club, and the grounds are perfectly silent, like the crowds are during the most critical of points inside Centre Court.

Just five days before the main draw begins, the final touches are being put in place—not so much out of feat of running out of time, but more like the extra touches added when there’s not much left to do but refine perfection.

As expected at SW19, it’s all about the details. Purple and green signs from the Southfields tube station eagerly point walkers in the right direction, counting them down from 1,500 yards. Inside the grounds, workers are scrubbing the steps of outside courts and watering the plants that hang alongside the lounge areas. There are purposeful designs in the flower patterns surrounding all of the courts, and even in the green ivy that grows up the walls of Centre Court. Henman Hill (or Murray Mound) is groomed to absolute perfection, just like all of the courts.

Instead of computerized screens, the draws and order of play are set up by hand with a boost from wooden ladders. Right now, the boards still show last year’s champions, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic. This year, the two return on clear missions: One is trying to—again—tie Steffi Graf for the most major singles titles in the Open era, and the other is aiming to continue his pursuit of the calendar-year Grand Slam.

Arriving at the All England Club for the first time makes you feel like you are becoming a part of tennis’ intricate history, and the grounds look like one delightful museum, safely guarding memories while daring players to add their own stories to its history books. There are even tour guides leading groups of wide-eyed fans around the site.

This is a place where some of the most significant moments in tennis history have taken place, and you can sense it just by standing inside Centre Court. It’s the very same lawn where Arthur Ashe made history in 1975 by becoming the first African-American man  to win the title, where Graf captured the crown on her way to a Golden Slam in 1988, where Rafael Nadal topped Roger Federer in the final of the century in 2008.

Just over three miles away at the Bank of England Sports Centre, the qualifying draw is raging on, with packed crowds enjoying free access to first-round matches still being contested after rain hindered action on Monday.

But inside the most traditional tennis landscape on the planet, if you’re lucky enough to be granted access, it’s an ideal time to catch a glimpse of top players. David Goffin and Taylor Fritz stroll to and from practice while Kei Nishikori is midway through a session on one of the flawless grass courts flanking Centre Court.

Soon enough, 39,000 fans will fill the grounds to capacity. Security is a major priority at all of the majors, and this year it’s especially heightened. Passes are required at all times on all persons, and all bags will be thoroughly checked, including player bags—even Federer’s bag—and there are more than 1,000 security guards ready to keep players and fans safe.

Many of those dedicated fans will queue up for hours for tickets (starting as early as 5 a.m.) to get a chance to walk these pristine grounds. Optimistic locals call the long lines a “moving picnic,” complete with blankets, food and drinks.

Some say the summer doesn’t officially begin without a Pimm’s Cup sipped merrily at the All-England Club, and as it’s become apparent already after being here for just one day, tradition and history are not to be argued with. Cheers to a brilliant fortnight to come.

Photos in the story courtesy of Nina Pantic.