Singles, Men

The outdoor version of men’s singles attracted a meagre field, lacking the top British, American, and Australian players. The best British player of the era was Arthur “Wentworth” Gore, but he competed only in the covered court events. The top American player was Bill Larned, and the top Australasians were Norman Brookes (AUS) and Tony Wilding (NZL), but they did not compete.

In their absence, Josiah Ritchie won the gold medal, taking the final in four sets over the German, Otto Froitzheim. Ritchie was a good player but never the top player in the world. His other titles in his career include: 1903-1906 and 1908 German singles, 1909 and 1914 British covered court singles, 1907 Irish singles, 1902, 1904, 1906, and 1909 London singles, 1908 and 1910 Wimbledon doubles (with Tony Wilding), 1907-07 British covered court doubles (with Tony Wilding), and the 1904 and 1906 German doubles.