Wimbledon's expansion plan heads to court while facing opposition from local residents

LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic calls it a “win-win.” Carlos Alcaraz says it’s a “great idea.”

Wimbledon's major expansion plan includes adding an 8,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof and 38 other grass courts at a former golf course across the street that would allow the All England Club to move its qualifying event and hold it on-site — as the other Grand Slam tournaments do — to boost attendance and revenue.

Some local residents did a deep dive on the details, though, and they’re not as convinced as the major champions are. That is why the proposal goes to the U.K.’s High Court for a judicial review Tuesday and Wednesday as the quarterfinals are held at the tournament that concludes next weekend.

Opponents say they love tennis as much as the 500,000 or so fans who flock to SW19 — Wimbledon's well-known post code — over the course of the two-week event.

“But we’re also lovers of the environment and of trees and greenery and open spaces,” said Susan Cusack, a member of Save Wimbledon Park.

That's the group challenging the Greater London Authority's approval last September of Wimbledon's project, and they say they have raised more than $270,000 to pay for lawyers to fight against what Cusack and others call an "industrial tennis complex."

“They’re a massive developer. On their current site, all they do is build, build, build,” Cusack said.

Aside from concerns about the environment and overall scale, opponents argue the adjacent property that was a golf course when the All England Club bought it in 2018 is subject to restrictions that favor preservation of open space for the public.

Wimbledon’s case for expansion

The oldest Grand Slam tournament is the only one of the four that holds its qualifying rounds at a completely separate location. There are also too few practice courts in the current setup, requiring some of the world's best players to share courts.

“Wimbledon needs to stay at the pinnacle of world sport, and to do that, you have to evolve both on the court but also off the court with the infrastructure,” Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, told The Associated Press.

Wimbledon’s attendance numbers trail the other three majors. The Australian Open sold 1.1 million tickets for this year’s main draw — more than double Wimbledon’s 2024 tally — after bringing in more than 115,000 the week of qualifying. Wimbledon’s qualifying, three miles away at Roehampton, has 8,000 tickets total.

The French Open pulled in 80,000 fans for its qualifying. Fans could watch star players practice, in addition to the mini-tournament in which competitors play for coveted spots in the singles brackets.

Wimbledon’s project would allow 8,000 spectators at qualifying — per day.

“If you look at the other Grand Slams, they will have community events during that first week ... and, of course, the serious tennis,” Jevans said. “So we always start with the tennis but, yes, I want the opportunity to embrace more people. The demand for our tickets is off the charts.”

An 8,000-seat arena would become Wimbledon's third-largest stadium after Centre Court and No. 1 Court; it would be located just across the street from No. 1 Court.

Wimbledon's plan, which incorporates space now used for the famous Queue, would more than double its total number of grass courts — there are currently 18 for the tournament, plus 20 for practice.

Jevans, who was expected to attend the first day of the hearing, said “at least seven” of the proposed new courts would be made available for community use. The plan also includes two public parks, one that would be 23 acres.

Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, added Monday: “We remain really confident that we’ll make the progress we need to make.”

The club declined comment on the project's price tag, which British media has reported will be about $270 million.

Djokovic and Alcaraz support Wimbledon's plans

If the plan survives legal challenges, there's still an eight-year construction window. That should rule out the 38-year-old Djokovic's chances of competing on the new courts. But the seven-time Wimbledon champion still wants the plan to succeed.

“It’s great for the community, for London, for our sport. It’s a win-win, to be honest. If it doesn’t go through, it will be a shame,” he said Thursday.

Belinda Bencic, who was 17 when she made her Wimbledon debut in 2014, said Saturday she likes that the club “is investing and trying to do the best for the players."

Two-time defending champion Alcaraz said putting “qualifying really close (to) where we are now — I think it’s a great idea.”

Whatever happens, Djokovic noted, Wimbledon's future is secure.

“Wimbledon, as it is already, is a sacred tournament, a tournament that everybody wants to win or play in,” he said. “This is only a bonus. It’s something that will get it to even a higher level of recognition.”

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis