Inside the Hurlingham Club and the poshest event on the British sporting calendar

Novak Djokovic made his return to action at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic - (Gabriel Bush)

A fleet of Rolls-Royces lines the drive. Spectators in heels and hats walk under trellises of roses, past the orangery and members-only Polo Club, stopping to admire the wares of a handful of luxury sponsors. A peacock roams freely along perfectly manicured lawns. This is the Hurlingham Club, home of the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic, the most glamorous sporting event of the summer.

Tucked into a leafy corner of southwest London, Hurlingham is the final stop for many elite players before they travel a little further along the District line for the pinnacle of the grass-court swing. As an exhibition event it offers participants one last weekend of semi-serious competition, against players who they may well face over the next two weeks, albeit with much higher stakes.