EMMA RADUCANU BACKS WIMBLEDON IN EXPANSION FIGHT WITH RESIDENTS
Emma Raducanu has backed the All England Club in its battle to expand the leafy grounds of Wimbledon, and says the tournament could only be improved by the addition of extra space.
The subject feels especially relevant this week, as the AELTC’s lawyers have been in the High Court in the latest instalment of an ongoing arm-wrestle with a local pressure group.
When asked directly about the Wimbledon Park Project, which would add another 73 acres to the 42 that the club already occupies, Raducanu offered an enthusiastic response.
“I think that the extra space would be really, really beneficial for the tournament,” she said. “I think they could do much more and it would be really fun.”
The development feels all the more necessary when the Australian Open, where Raducanu won her first-round match on Sunday night, is constantly upgrading its facilities and keeps smashing its own attendance records on each successive day.
“So much happens here,” said Raducanu, with regard to the ongoing evolution of Melbourne Park. “There’s a lot of concerts. Even in between the games, you see all the boards just flashing ads of what’s going on. I saw [South Korean DJ and singer-songwriter] Peggy Gou is coming here, which is cool.”
While the Wimbledon Park Project does not involve concerts, there are certain innovations that could be introduced if it were to go through. For one thing, Wimbledon could stage a “kids’ day” to match those already in place at the other three majors.
The tournament’s daily capacity – which now stands at 42,000 – would probably be increased by around 10,000 extra visitors per day, while the qualifying event could come on-site rather than being hosted three miles away at Roehampton.
Returning to this week’s tennis, Raducanu is scheduled to face Anastasia Potapova, the big-hitting Russian-turned-Austrian, in her second-round match on Wednesday.
It will be a challenging test for a woman who has yet to fully rediscover her timing and fluency after a bruised foot disrupted her off-season.
“I remember watching Anastasia all through juniors,” Raducanu said of Potapova, shortly after she had opened her Australian Open campaign with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew on Sunday night.
“I was the year below her and she was always the player to beat. She’s been very high ranked as well in the pros. She’s a big hitter and I know it’s going to be a really tricky one. I need to just gather my strength and prepare as best as possible for the next match.”
Year after year, Raducanu arrives in Australia off the back of a suboptimal off-season, yet she has a knack for raising her game at the slams, as we saw at this event last season when she fought past two high-quality players – Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova – to reach the third round.
She clearly finds inspiration in the vibrant mood around the 100-odd acres of Melbourne Park, and sounds keen to continue her progress in the cooler conditions that prevail in the evenings.
“I really like Australia,” Raducanu said. “I love being here and I love playing here. I think the crowd and the energy is so lively, especially at night.”
Wimbledon’s expansion battle and what is next
What is the battle about?
The All England Club wants to build 39 new grass courts on what used to be Wimbledon Park Golf Course, but local pressure group Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) insists that this is “metropolitan open land” which should be preserved from development. Part of the debate revolves around the preservation of a healthy environment for flora and fauna.
While the AELTC says it will dredge the lake and plant 1,500 trees, the SWP replies that the plans will turn the Capability Brown-sculpted parkland into an “ecological desert”.
Where are we at with it?
Deputy London mayor Jules Pipe granted planning permission for the development in September, but SWP member Christopher Coombe insisted at the time that “we have plenty more aces to serve”.
A local lawyer, Coombe’s threat has since borne fruit in two further challenges: one questioning City Hall’s decision and the other debating whether the land is subject to a so-called “statutory trust” which renders it exempt from construction.
How does Wimbledon’s footprint compare to others?
At present, the grounds cover 42 acres, but the addition of what used to be the golf course would create a 115-acre super-site. Roland Garros – which hosts the French Open – is smaller than the existing Wimbledon site at just 34 acres, but Melbourne Park covers the biggest area at almost 100 acres.
When can we expect a resolution?
There could be at least another year of wrangling, with legal costs escalating as the AELTC continues to butt heads with the SWP. Even if the club gets its way, it will still take six or seven years for the new grass courts to be made ready for play.
In other words, there is already no chance of the new facility coming on stream until at least the mid-2030s.
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2026-01-19T18:00:58Z