Wimbledon Park Project Faces Final Court Appeal Decision by End of 2026

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club's Wimbledon Park Project remains on track for a final legal decision by the end of 2026 after multiple court rulings upheld planning permission, Forbes reported. The project would add 38 grass courts and an 8,000-seat retractable-roof Parkland Show Court on the former Wimbledon Park golf course site across from the main grounds.

Approvals were first granted in 2024.

The deputy mayor of London approved the plan that year, but opponents Save Wimbledon Park took the matter to the High Court. The High Court upheld the permission in July 2025. The Court of Appeal permitted a further challenge in November 2025, and that appeal must be heard before the end of 2026.

If the club receives final approval, it expects the development to be ready for use in the early 2030s. The project would move the qualifying tournament onto the main site and create a 23-acre public park plus a four-acre park at the northern entrance on land that has been private for more than 100 years. It would also add a public boardwalk around Wimbledon Park Lake.

The Save Wimbledon Park group argues that a statutory trust restricts development of the former golf course land. All rulings to date have found no such trust exists. Deborah Jevans, chair of the AELTC, said the High Court ruling confirmed the land “is not, and never has been, subject to a statutory trust” and noted that more local residents supported the project than opposed it.

The Parkland Show Court is designed to match the scale of third show courts at other major tournaments. It would rise 79 feet above ground level on the Church Road side and 92 feet at its highest point on the east side, remaining lower than both Centre Court and No. 1 Court.