Plans to expand Wimbledon are set to go before the U.K. High Court.

The All England Club (AELTC), host of the third Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season, wants to add a third stadium court and 38 further courts to its footprint, tripling its size in works expected to cost over £200million ($254.8million).

The Greater London Authority (GLA) granted planning permission in September, but campaign group Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) has now instructed lawyers to challenge the decision, which could ultimately lead to a judicial review in the High Court.

It has “sent a lengthy formal letter setting out our case to the GLA, copied to both Merton and Wandsworth Councils and to the AELTC,” according to a spokesperson’s statement seen by The Athletic Wednesday December 11.

The letter is required as part of the “pre-action protocol” for a judicial review. In it, SWP’s law firm, Russell Cooke, invites the GLA to confirm it will reconsider the planning permission. This would involve quashing the grant. The firm requests a “substantive reply” by December 16; the letter is dated December 6.

A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said: “The Mayor believes this scheme will bring a significant range of benefits including economic, social and cultural benefits to the local area, the wider capital and the UK economy, creating new jobs and cementing Wimbledon’s reputation as the greatest tennis competition in the world.

“City Hall will respond to Save Wimbledon Park’s letter in due course.”

Separately, the AELTC confirmed December 1 that it will challenge a key tenet of SWP and other residents’ groups objections to the plans in the High Court. SWP argues that when AELTC bought the freehold to the Wimbledon site and the adjacent park in 1993, it fell under a statutory trust which requires that land to be kept free for public recreation.

The AELTC argues that “there is not, nor has there ever been, a statutory trust affecting the former Wimbledon Park Golf Course land”. It will now take this argument to the High Court in a bid to prove itself right.

The AELTC bought the golf course — whose lease was set to expire in 2041 — for £65million (now $87.1m) in 2018. This led to each member receiving £85,000, and the AELTC argues that it being a private club voids the concept of a statutory trust.

“We have been pointing out for a considerable time that the statutory public recreation trust on which the AELTC hold the heritage golf course land is a fundamental block on the proposed AELTC development,” an SWP spokesperson said.

“We are glad to hear that the AELTC now recognise our point of view and note that they wish to take this to litigation rather than engage in any discussion.”

The AELTC believes its plans will ensure that Wimbledon does not fall behind the Australian, French, and U.S. Opens in terms of prestige.

One of the 39 new courts will be an 8,000-seater stadium, and the other 38 will allow the AELTC to bring the qualifying event on-site. That event is held the week before the main tournament starts, and Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam of the four not to already have its qualifying event on-site. Wimbledon’s third show court, No. 2 Court, is the smallest of the third courts across the majors.

Planning permission for the expansion went to the GLA after Merton and Wandsworth councils failed to agree on them. Merton granted permission in October 2023, before Wandsworth refused it a month later. There is no expected timeline for the AELTC’s case, nor for the judicial review proposed by SWP. AELTC chair Deborah Jevans has said that it wants the new courts in play by the early 2030s.

(Julian Finney / Getty Images)

Four-time WNBA champion Sheryl Swoopes has been one of Caitlin Clark’s most outspoken critics.

But Swoopes was left speechless during a recent podcast appearance after being asked about the Indiana Fever star’s remarks about her privilege as a White athlete in an interview with Time magazine after being named Athlete of the Year. 

Swoopes, who was the first player ever signed to the WNBA, admitted on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast Wednesday that Clark receiving the honor was “great” for the league, but she questioned the criteria for what went into Time’s selection. 

“I don’t think I’m surprised. I’m curious to know who the other candidates were. But the fact that that’s the very first WNBA player to ever win Time magazine Athlete of the Year is pretty special.

“My question is — like the criteria — is it based off her performance on the court, which, yeah, she had a great year. Or is it more about the impact that she had on the game this season.

“I think it’s great, not just for her. I think it’s great for the league, right? Like everybody talked about the recognition she brought to the W this season, and, so, for her to be Time magazine Athlete of the Year I think it’s really great for the league.” 

Texas Tech alumna Sheryl Swoopes attends Alumni Weekend at a Texas Tech game against Baylor Jan. 28, 2023, at United Supermarkets Arena. (Imagn)

CAITLIN CLARK ADMITS FEELING ‘PRIVILEGE’ AS A WHITE PERSON, SAYS WNBA WAS ‘BUILT ON’ BLACK PLAYERS

But Swoopes had less to say when she was asked what she thought of Clark’s admission to the magazine that she benefited from her privilege. 

“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a White person, there is privilege,” Clark said in the interview. 

“A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important. I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.” 

Caitlin Clark (22) of the Indiana Fever drives to the basket against the Connecticut Sun during Game 2 of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs Sept. 25, 2024, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. (Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images)

When asked during Wednesday’s podcast about those remarks, Swoopes said nothing. 

She appeared to raise an eyebrow and nod before the topic was changed. 

Swoopes has faced criticism in the past over her hot takes on Clark. In September, Swoopes said she didn’t think Clark was “dominating” the league. Clark was later named WNBA Rookie of the Year. 

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A look at the matchups involving Southland teams in CIF state championship bowl games this weekend:

FRIDAY

Division 2-AA: Oxnard Pacifica (11-4) vs. Sacramento Grant (11-3) at Saddleback College, 4 p.m. Pacifica blocked three punts last week against Narbonne. Offensively, it’s all about whether quarterback Dominic Duran can receive enough time to get the ball to receivers Alijah Royster, Savion Taylor and Isaiah Dillon. Grant relies on its offensive and defensive lines to create scoring opportunities. The pick: Grant.

Division 4-AA: Palmdale Highland (11-4) vs. Petaluma St. Vincent de Paul (13-1) at Veterans Stadium, 4 p.m. Highland quarterback Justin Wyatt, a Nevada commit, has been passing and running his way to success. Junior quarterback Gabe Casanovas has 36 touchdown passes for the Mustangs. The pick: St. Vincent de Paul.

SATURDAY

Open Division: Concord De La Salle (12-0) vs. Mater Dei (12-0) at Saddleback College, 8 p.m. Mater Dei is ranked No. 1 in California as well as the nation by several organizations. The Monarchs haven’t come close to losing all season thanks to a dominating defense and an offense that relies on running back Jordon Davison and quarterback Dash Beierly, who are committed to Oregon and Washington, respectively. De La Salle has speed on both sides of the ball but the representative from Northern California hasn’t scored in this game the last two years. CalPreps.com has Mater Dei winning by 41 points. The pick: Mater Dei.

Division 1-A: Huntington Beach Edison (11-4) vs. Fresno Central (12-2) at Saddleback College, 3 p.m. Edison has come on strong with a team approach featuring quarterback Sam Thomson, running back Julius Gillick and an aggressive defense. Brandon Smith is the player to watch for Central. He had five touchdowns last week in the regional final. The pick: Edison.

Division 2-A: Palos Verdes (10-5) vs. Lincoln Twelve Bridges (14-0) at Saddleback College, 11:30 a.m. The Sea Kings have reached their first final behind sophomore quarterback Ryan Rakowski and a defense that has produced two pick-six touchdowns the last two weeks. Twelve Bridges, in its fourth year of playing football, had a big game last week from running back Braeden Ward, who rushed for 206 yards. The pick: Twelve Bridges.

Division 3-A: Rio Hondo Prep (13-1) vs. Fairfield Vanden (12-2) at Veterans Stadium, 3 p.m. The Kares, with 16 Southern Section championships, have never won a state title. With a student body of 71 boys, the Kares will turn to junior running back Noah Penunuri, who’s closing in on 1,800 yards rushing. Vanden counters with prolific quarterback Kalani Mcleod, who has passed for 4,090 yards and 36 touchdowns. The pick: Rio Hondo Prep.

Division 4-A: St. Pius X-St. Matthias (6-9) vs. Sonora (12-2) at Veterans Stadium, 3 p.m. St. Pius made the Southern Section playoffs with a 1-9 record, didn’t lose any games in November and is trying to finish off as state champions. This is a team that had two interceptions against Brady Smigiel, the quarterback for Division 2 champion Newbury Park. Quarterback Jassi Williams is nearing 3,000 yards passing. Sonora has strong special teams and produces turnovers on defense. The pick: St. Pius X-St. Matthias.

Division 5-A: Palmdale (10-5) vs. American Canyon (12-2) at Veterans Stadium, 11 a.m. Junior quarterback Joshua Suarez passed for 293 yards and four touchdown in the regional final for Palmdale, which faces a tough task on defense going against a team with two running backs who have gained more than 1,500 yards each. The pick: American Canyon.

Division 6-AA: Portola (9-6) vs. Arcata (13-1) at Fullerton, 7 p.m. Portola won an overtime thriller last week against King/Drew and has come back from an 0-5 start to reach its first state final. The Bulldogs will try to control the clock with their rushing attack. Arcata relies on versatile quarterback Luke Lemke. The pick: Arcata.

Division 7-A: Pioneer (10-5) vs. San Francisco Balboa (8-5) at Fullerton, 11 a.m. Sophomore running back Joseph Smith leads Balboa. Adrian Lopez has rushed for more than 1,000 yards for Pioneer. The pick: Balboa.