Wimbledon plans to triple the size of its existing London venue and add 39 courts, but campaigners are calling for the move to be blocked.
Published January 16, 2026
Wimbledon’s plans to expand the grounds of the world’s oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournament were back in court on Friday as campaigners again called for the plans to be blocked.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club wants to triple the size of its main venue, home to the championship since 1877, in a £200 million ($267.9 million) project with 39 new courts.
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AELTC’s plan to redevelop the former golf course it owns is supported by several prominent stakeholders and some residents.
But Save Wimbledon Park, the campaign group that challenged the planning permission and took legal action, says the land is in a statutory trust and must be preserved for public recreation.
AELTC is seeking a London High Court ruling that the land is not subject to such a trust, and lawyers say the land has never been used for public recreation.
Dozens of Save Wimbledon Park supporters gathered outside the courts ahead of Friday’s hearing, including two women dressed as tennis balls holding placards that read “Ball goes to AELTC”.
The expansion plans were at the center of a separate legal case last summer in which Save Wimbledon Park challenged planning permission granted by the Greater London Authority in 2024.
In the lawsuit, Save Wimbledon Park argued that the GLA failed to properly consider restrictions on the redevelopment of the land. Their challenge was rejected, but the group was later granted permission to appeal the decision.
