The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) has cleared a key legal obstacle in its efforts to significantly expand the Wimbledon tennis grounds, following a ruling by London’s High Court on Monday, 21 July 2025. The court found that the planning permission granted for the £200 million project had been lawfully approved, effectively dismissing a legal challenge brought by a local campaign group.

• All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
• Wimbledon
• London’s High Court

The case was initiated by Save Wimbledon Park (SWP), a coalition opposing the development on environmental and planning grounds. The group argued that the Greater London Authority (GLA) had failed to properly account for legal protections on the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club land, which forms part of the expansion territory. In his decision, Judge Pushpinder Saini disagreed, ruling that the GLA had acted within its powers when granting approval.

• Save Wimbledon Park
• Greater London Authority
• Judge Pushpinder Saini

According to the AELTC, the redevelopment plan aims to more than triple the size of the current site, adding 38 new grass courts and an 8,000-seat show court on land adjacent to the existing complex. The intention is to consolidate tournament operations, including bringing qualifying matches onto the main site — a shift from the current practice of holding them offsite in Roehampton. The expansion would also include upgraded facilities and increased capacity for spectators.

• Roehampton

“This judgment confirms that due legal process was followed,” the AELTC said in a statement following the court’s decision. “We remain committed to delivering the sporting and community benefits of the project.” The club has positioned the expansion as a long-term investment in the global standing of Wimbledon, enabling it to remain competitive with the other Grand Slam tournaments in New York, Paris and Melbourne.

• Grand Slam
• New York
• Paris
• Melbourne

However, the legal process is not yet over. While the High Court dismissed the planning challenge, a separate case over the land’s protected status under eighteenth and nineteenth-century covenants remains unresolved. A hearing on that matter is expected to take place in early 2026.

SWP has expressed continued opposition to the scheme. In a public response following the decision, the group maintained that the project would cause “substantial harm” to one of London’s historic green spaces. “We remain deeply concerned about the environmental impact and the precedent this sets for public trust in planning decisions,” a spokesperson for SWP noted.

The contested area, formerly operated as a private golf course, is noted for its ecological value and proximity to a Grade II*-listed landscape originally designed by Capability Brown. Conservation groups have joined local residents in raising concerns about increased traffic, loss of open space, and uncertainty over the long-term public benefit promised by the AELTC.

• Capability Brown

Although Monday’s ruling marks a key step forward for the club, the outcome of the next legal proceeding will help determine whether — and how soon — ground can finally be broken on one of the most ambitious infrastructural undertakings in the tournament’s recent history.