The world’s four most important annual professional tennis tournaments, collectively known as the Grand Slam, take place during the warmer months, so why not tack a Major onto your vacation?

The sport’s summer season in the Northern Hemisphere begins in Paris at the French Open, held this year May 25–June 8 at Stade Roland Garros. Widely considered the world’s most physically demanding tennis tournament, the French Open is the only Grand Slam played on red clay. The ball bounces slower, higher and less predictably on the ochre, leading to the type of hair-raising rallies that earned Rafael Nadal, who holds a record 14 titles at Roland Garros, the nickname “King of Clay.”

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The calendar continues with Wimbledon, taking place at London’s All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club June 30–July 13. Dating to 1877, Wimbledon is the world’s oldest tennis tournament. Also regarded as the most prestigious of the Majors, it stands out for its star-studded crowd and a commitment to tradition: Players must bow or curtsy toward the Royal Box when entering or leaving Centre Court.

Wimbledon also stands apart for requiring competitors to dress in full tennis whites. The only Grand Slam event played on hand-weeded grass courts, Wimbledon keeps the grass to a strict 8-millimeter height during the championships.

If you don’t snag tickets in advance, fear not: Wimbledon’s time-honored queuing experience makes up part of the pageantry. Fans set up tents and line up for tickets ahead of time, joining a raucous celebration regulated by more than 17 pages of documented queuing etiquette.

The fourth and final of the Major events is the US Open, held on acrylic hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, New York, Aug. 25–Sept. 7. (The Australian Open, which takes place in Melbourne each January, during Australia’s summer, is also played on hard courts.) Founded in 1881, the US Open is one of the oldest major sporting events in America, marked by legendary matchups (including Venus and Serena Williams’ 2001 showdown) and an eye-popping purse that reached a record $75 million last year.