As the British summer continues to take hold, the tennis fraternity are feasting their eyes on the 132nd edition of the Wimbledon Championships.

It’s an event which for decades has captured not just the hearts of tennis fans but also the appreciation of sporting followers from across the globe, who remain marvelled by its charm and exclusivity. Boasting ancient heritage, rich tradition and, in some ways, pure sport, Wimbledon still firmly sits at the top of the tennis tree and continues to hold a stellar reckoning in the wider sporting calendar.

Of course, the players dressed in all white, the cathedral-like atmosphere and the old history of Centre Court all contribute to a deep affection for Wimbledon, but it’s the grass at the All England Club which is often seen as the cherry on the cake. The game changer. The X-factor, so to speak. It sets the tournament apart from every other Grand Slam.

Indeed, every June and July, there’s just something deeply striking and distinctive about seeing tennis players dressed in impeccable white clothing, gracefully gliding across the perfectly cut and lush green grass of Centre Court.

However, while the luxurious rye grass is perhaps Wimbledon’s greatest strength, it’s by no means it’s only asset. The principles and values of the club, which include no overt branding on the side boards of courts, only patch logos on competitors clothing and atmospheric, but respectful crowds, also play a major role in the worldwide affection for the Championships.

As the world of sport becomes a haven of commercialization and elite corruption, this innocence, purity and unique grandeur flaunted at Wimbledon each year, serves to reminds us of the original allure of tennis once again.

The halting of sponsor and branding invasions, and the softening of modern sport’s ruthless edge helps to make way for a spiritual festival where tennis’ traditions and values are majestically paraded for the entire sporting world to indulge in.

Over the decades, the appearance of the All England Club and Centre Court has hardly changed, yet every new visitor to this sporting temple leave with their hearts stolen. The first tournament in Church Road was played in 1922 and, nearly a century later, it’s still the event which most players dream of winning today.

Whether it was two-time champion Stefan Edberg once acclaiming that “for me, and most of the other players too, if you had to pick one of the four Grand Slams, you would pick Wimbledon. It’s got tradition, it’s got atmosphere, and it’s got mystique.” Or Rafael Nadal, winner in 2008 and 2010, once commending that “the trimmed grass, the rich history, the ancient stadium, the players dressed in white, the respectful crowds, the venerable tradition all combine to enclose and cushion you from the outside world,” down through the generations, the message has been a conclusive one.

Reaching the summit of this illustrious tournament played in a south-western suburb of London, makes the blood, sweat, and tears left on the training court, all worth it in the end. Hence, that’s why the preservation of this British citadel of sporting tradition is something tennis’ success still spectacularly hinges on.