CNN welcomes its first ever dedicated tennis programme this week with the launch of ‘Open Court’, a monthly magazine feature show taking viewers beyond the baseline in search of the most compelling personal stories in the sport.

The show goes behind-the-scenes with some of the biggest names the global game, learning as much about life off the court as on it.

"'Open Court' aims to showcase the personalities that shape or have shaped, one of the world’s most universal sports”, says Mike McCarthy, vice president of coverage and feature programming. "This most accessible of sports is populated by some of the most intriguing individuals, all with hugely diverse personal stories behind their journey to fame and success on the court. It is these stories that we feel will take this show from being a regular sports show into something much richer.”

‘Open Court’ chronicles the players’ journeys from childhood to their first steps into the world of tennis through to their dominance on the world circuit.

In the coming months, ‘Open Court’ will complement these highly personal interviews with on the ground guides to major tournaments, and a quirky look at the latest developments in tennis technique and gadgets.

The show is to be anchored by an internationally renowned tennis champion – and one of the most colourful characters to have played the game. The anchor will be announced during the first programme.

About the first programme:

The launch episode sees current world number two men's player Novak Djokovic take centre court in the Open Court's signature interview when the show team travels to Serbia for a rare meeting with the 22-year-old. Djokovic talks candidly about what it is like to live out of a suitcase year-round, the importance of family and what it was like growing up in a war-torn country. In a revealing interview, Djokovic talks about how tennis became part of his life at a very young age and how his family made sacrifices so that he could play.

The ‘Open Court’ team also walks through a lesson in ‘Tennis 101’ with former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski before he explains how tennis got its start in the 13th century, where people played in monasteries and courtyards before the game transformed into the high-stakes global phenomenon that it is today.

Finally, the ‘Open Court‘ team travels to California to meet professional racquet stringers and hear their accounts of the tournament, circuit stringing racquets for some of the world’s top players, and we and learn why it is so important to the game. The ‘Open Court’ team ends its inaugural journey at a small village in Austria, home of Head's research and design team for a behind-the-scenes look at racquet design.

Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, currently ranked world number four in the WTA rankings, joins the ‘Open Court’ team online, providing video diaries and blogs at cnn.com/tennis, with regular insights into a pro's experience on the tour.

Tennis fans can visit the tennis section of CNN.com at www.cnn.com/tennis for more tennis news, interviews, videos and blogs.

Airing Times:

Thursday 18th March 1230 GMT; 1730 GMT

Saturday 20th March 0730 GMT, 2000 GMT

Sunday 21st March 0300 GMT, 0730 GMT, 1500 GMT