Back in 1922, King George the V stood in the center (I’m sorry, “centre”) of the brand new Wimbledon tennis courts built to accommodate the ever-growing fans, banged a gong three times, and declared the courts open for game play. The tarps were ceremoniously removed, and as the very first toe thumb of the inaugural player hit the baseline, rain burst from the sky. The christening was now complete: Wimbledon had begun.

Ninety-one years later, in a one-bedroom apartment in West Hollywood, I stood in the middle of my living room, banged the edge of my coffee mug with a spoon three times, ceremoniously removed the throw from my couch, and rained my body weight down upon it for two weeks as the 2013 Wimbledon kicked off just southwest of London, England.

Wimbledon is one of the classiest sporting events of the year, with men and women showing up in their absolute tennis best. Like this woman with her dropped balls:

Or these young maidens:

And of course, the tournament is not without its celebrity sightings. Even Hugh Grant got in the spirit of things!