Obtaining autographs from world tennis stars is a popular past-time for people of all ages. Hey, even my Mum couldn't help but get excited when she first met Anna Kournikova!

The crew have been meeting the players and obtaining autographs for a while now, which is why we have so many autographs in this section. All autographs contained within these pages are 100% genuine as we obtained them directly from the tennis players themselves. Which is also why we feel it necessary to let you know which players we consider to be the friendliest, the most ignorant, and those who could go either way.

Click ATP or WTA to view our massive gallery of Men's and Women's tennis autographs.

Ok, it's time to take note because we're about to give you the lowdown on how best to secure autographs of your favourite tennis stars...

Where to meet a star tennis player
Chances are that unless you're good friends with a star tennis player then they're unlikely to drop by your house for a cup of tea. So, you're going to have to get out there... but where?... to a tennis tournament of course!

Which tournaments should I go to?
If you're in the UK, Wimbledon is naturally top of the bill because virtually all the stars are there, apart from those injured or clay court specialists who haven't mastered grass courts. Wimbledon is very busy though, so you'll have your work cut-out competing for autographs with thousands of other people. The pre-Wimbledon tournaments such as Queen's Club and Eastbourne attract many quality players, and as they are far smaller tournaments you have a much greater chance of asking players for autographs as they walk around the grounds.

Wimbledon
Yes, we're focussing on the big one because, let's face it, this is the only tennis tournament most people in the UK have ever heard of and are most likely to go to! Believe it or not but you are highly likely to meet some tennis players as they walk to the AELTC along Wimbledon Park Road and Church Road! We've bumped into Marat Safin, Jiri Novak, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, and more.

Ok, so you're in the grounds, where should you go? Well, there's the Autograph booth which stages autograph and photo sessions with various players at various times. If a top player is going to be there make sure you get there very early as the booth isn't open for long!

There is also the Orangi practice courts where you can often catch players as they go to and from their practice sessions, but be prepared to wait around for a while because they can appear at any time. If you speak politely to security they may let you know (if they know) who is expected on the practice courts later that day.

With so many matches being played during the two weeks of Wimbledon, most players will be scheduled to play on the outside courts. Just look at the schedule-of-play for the day you are there and make sure you're in the vicinity while your tennis star is going to/from the court. You will see so many of them just walking around anyway that it's just untrue; Mark Philippoussis, Arnaud Clement, Younes El Aynaoui, to name but a few. Watch out for players wearing non-tennis gear because you'll hardly recognise them! Jelena Dokic walked straight passed me and the crew in 2003 and we had to double take to make sure it was her.

Approaching a tennis star
Remember, although we basically pay their wages, a tennis player is doing you a favour by signing autographs, so be respectful. Ask politely if they would mind giving you an autograph, and even compliment them. If a lot of people are asking for an autograph from one player, then don't push. I've seen tennis players refuse to give an autograph to impolite people (too right!) while signing others.

If a group of people are asking for autograghs, don't shout "who's that?" if you don't recognise them, and please don't ask a player "who are you?". I've heard this time and time again and I don't think it's very respectful to the players. If you're unsure who a player is but want their autograph just in case, then get their autograph and find out who it was when they are out of ear-shot. Chances are you'll hear at least a few people calling them by their first name during all this anyway. Or... Do your DD (Due Diligence), as the well known stock trading saying goes. In other words, do your own tennis player research before the tournament so you become familiar with more players.