High Court Clears Wimbledon Expansion on Ex-Golf Site

London's High Court ruled on Thursday in favor of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, clearing a key legal barrier to its plans to expand the Wimbledon tennis grounds by redeveloping a former golf course in southwest London. The decision rejects arguments from campaigners who claimed the land must remain public open space under a longstanding statutory trust.

The All England Club, which organizes the annual Wimbledon Championships, seeks to nearly triple the size of its 42-acre site through a £200 million project. The expansion would add 38 new tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium on the 83-acre site of the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club, allowing the tournament to host qualifying rounds on location for the first time. This would align Wimbledon with the other Grand Slam events, such as the Australian Open and French Open, and enhance practice facilities for players. The club acquired the site's lease in 1986 and the freehold in 1993, later purchasing the remaining lease from the golf club in 2018 for £65 million.

The ruling stemmed from a dispute over the land's status under the Public Health Act of 1875, which campaign group Save Wimbledon Park argued imposed a...