| Event: | Men's singles tennis |
| Games: | 1920 Summer |
| Venue: | Beerschot Tennis Club |
| Dates: | 16–23 August 1920 |
| Competitors: | 41 |
| Nations: | 14 |
| Gold: | Louis Raymond |
| Goldnoc: | RSA |
| Silver: | Ichiya Kumagae |
| Silvernoc: | JPN |
| Bronze: | Charles Winslow |
| Bronzenoc: | RSA |
| Prev: | 1912 |
| Next: | 1924 |
| Quadrennial: | yes |
| Multi: | yes |
| Type: | mixed |
| Before Year: | 1912 |
The men's singles was a tennis event held as part of the tennis at the 1920 Summer Olympics programme. It was the sixth appearance of the event. A total of 44 players from 15 nations entered in the event; 41 players from 14 nations competed. The event was held from 16 to 23 August 1920 at the Beerschot Tennis Club.[1] Nations were limited to four players each. The event was won by Louis Raymond of South Africa, the nation's second consecutive in the event (second-most all-time behind Great Britain's three). South Africa had nearly had both finalists again, as it had in 1912, but defending champion Charles Winslow fell to Japan's Ichiya Kumagae in the semifinal; Winslow took bronze by walkover against Noel Turnbull of Great Britain. Kumagae's silver was Japan's first medal in the event.
This was the sixth appearance of the men's singles tennis event. The event has been held at every Summer Olympics where tennis has been on the program: from 1896 to 1924 and then from 1988 to the current program. Demonstration events were held in 1968 and 1984.
As in previous Games, the field for this event was relatively weak and without top competitors. The Olympic tennis tournament was no longer scheduled adjacent to or concurrent with Wimbledon, as it had been in 1908 and 1912; however, it was at the same time as the U.S. Championship this year. Bill Tilden and Bill Johnston, and all the other American players, thus did not enter. Australia's Gerald Patterson did enter, but withdrew.[1]
Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland each made their debut in the event. France made its fifth appearance, most among all nations, having missed only the St. Louis 1904 event.
The competition was a single-elimination tournament with a bronze-medal match. All matches were best-of-five sets.
| Date | Time | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, 16 August 1920 | Round of 64 Round of 32 | ||
| Tuesday, 17 August 1920 | Round of 32 | ||
| Wednesday, 18 August 1920 | Round of 32 Round of 16 | ||
| Thursday, 19 August 1920 | Round of 16 | ||
| Friday, 20 August 1920 | Round of 16 | ||
| Saturday, 21 August 1920 | Quarterfinals | ||
| Sunday, 22 August 1920 | Semifinals | ||
| Monday, 23 August 1920 | Bronze medal match Final |
The match between Lowe and Zerlendis was played over two days, and lasted for nearly six hours. At one point the ballboys, bored by the long rallying, left the court and went to lunch, forcing the match to stop until they returned.[2]
| Rank | Player | Nation | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left data-sort-value="Raymond, Louis" | Louis Raymond | W 7–5, 6–1, 4–6, 6–1 | W 3–6, 6–2, 6–0, 6–1 | W 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 | W 2–6, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–1 | W 5–7, 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 | |||
| align=left data-sort-value="Kumagae, Ichiya" | Ichiya Kumagae | W 7–5, 6–3, 6–3 | W 6–0, 6–1, 6–0 | W 7–5, 6–1, 6–4 | W 7–5, 6–1, 6–1 | W 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 | L 5–7, 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 | ||
| align=left data-sort-value="Winslow, Charles" | Charles Winslow | W 7–5, 2–6, 6–3, 6–2 | W 8–6, 6–4, 6–1 | W 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2 | L 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 | W w/o | |||
| 4 | align=left data-sort-value="Turnbull, Noel" | Noel Turnbull | W w/o | W 3–6, 6–3, 6–0, 6–8, 6–2 | W 0–6, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5 | L 2–6, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–1 | L w/o | ||
| 5 | align=left data-sort-value="Alonso Areizaga, Manuel" | Manuel Alonso Areizaga | W 6–3, 2–6, 6–0, 6–2 | W 6–1, 2–6, 6–1, 6–3 | W 6–1, 5–7, 5–7, 6–3, 6–1 | L 0–6, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5 | did not advance | ||
| align=left data-sort-value="Dodd, George" | George Dodd | W 2–6, 6–2, 6–1, 9–7 | W 6–2, 6–1, 6–1 | W 6–3, 4–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1 | L 7–5, 6–1, 6–1 | did not advance | |||
| align=left data-sort-value="Lowe, Gordon" | Gordon Lowe | W 14–12, 8–10, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4 | W 6–4, 6–0, 2–6, 7–5 | L 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2 | did not advance | ||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Malmström, Sune" | Sune Malmström | W 4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5 | W 6–2, 6–2, 6–0 | L 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 | did not advance | ||||
| 9 | align=left data-sort-value="Balbi Di Robecco, Mino" | Mino Balbi Di Robecco | W w/o | W 6–2, 6–4, 6–1 | L 3–6, 6–3, 6–0, 6–8, 6–2 | did not advance | |||
| align=left data-sort-value="Beamish, Alfred" | Alfred Beamish | W 6–1, 6–3, 6–4 | W 6–6, 6–4, 6–3 | L 6–1, 5–7, 5–7, 6–3, 6–1 | did not advance | ||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Brugnon, Jacques" | Jacques Brugnon | W 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 | L 3–6, 6–2, 6–0, 6–1 | did not advance | |||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Colombo, Cesare" | Cesare Colombo | W 6–2, 6–3, 6–1 | L 6–4, 6–0, 2–6, 7–5 | did not advance | |||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Kashio, Seiichiro" | Seiichiro Kashio | W 6–3, 6–1, 6–2 | L 6–3, 4–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1 | did not advance | |||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Lammens, Albert" | Albert Lammens | W 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 7–5 | W 6–2, 6–1, 6–1 | L 7–5, 6–1, 6–4 | did not advance | ||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Simon, Charles" | Charles Simon | W 3–6, 8–6, 6–2, 6–8, 6–2 | L 6–2, 6–2, 6–0 | did not advance | |||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Washer, Jean" | Jean Washer | W 6–1, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 | L 8–6, 6–4, 6–1 | did not advance | |||||
| 17 | align=left data-sort-value="Ardelt, Karel" | Karel Ardelt | W w/o | L 6–6, 6–4, 6–3 | did not advance | ||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Bemden, Maurice van den" | Maurice van den Bemden | L 7–5, 6–1, 4–6, 6–1 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Braun, Carl-Eric von" | Carl-Eric von Braun | W 4–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–2 | L 6–2, 6–1, 6–1 | did not advance | |||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Chiesa, Alberto Henri" | Alberto Henri Chiesa | L 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Decugis, Max" | Max Decugis | W 6–4, 12–10, 2–6, 8–6 | L 6–2, 6–1, 6–1 | did not advance | |||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Fernández de Liencres, José Miguel" | José Miguel Fernández de Liencres | W 0–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–2 | L 6–2, 6–4, 6–1 | did not advance | |||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Laveleye, Victor de" | Victor de Laveleye | W 6–2, 2–6, 6–3, 6–3 | L 6–0, 6–1, 6–0 | did not advance | |||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Nielsen, Jack" | Jack Nielsen | L 6–2, 6–3, 6–1 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Samazeuilh, Jean-Pierre" | Jean-Pierre Samazeuilh | L 7–5, 2–6, 6–3, 6–2 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Satrústegui, Enrique de" | Enrique de Satrústegui | L 3–6, 8–6, 6–2, 6–8, 6–2 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Tegner, Erik" | Erik Tegner | L 6–3, 6–1, 6–2 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Thomas, Ronald" | Ronald Thomas | L 6–1, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Woosnam, Max" | Max Woosnam | W 3–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–3 | L 6–1, 2–6, 6–1, 6–3 | did not advance | |||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Žemla, Ladislav" | Ladislav Žemla | L 4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Zerlendis, Augustos" | Augustos Zerlendis | L 14–12, 8–10, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4 | did not advance | ||||||
| 32 | align=left data-sort-value="Alonso, José María" | José María Alonso | L 7–5, 6–3, 6–3 | did not advance | |||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Blanchy, François" | François Blanchy | L 2–6, 6–2, 6–1, 9–7 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Bonacossa, Alberto" | Alberto Bonacossa | L 4–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–2 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Just, Jaroslav" | Jaroslav Just | L 6–3, 2–6, 6–0, 6–2 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Laveleye, Victor de" | Conrad Langaard | L 6–2, 2–6, 6–3, 6–3 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Lindqvist, Fritz" | Fritz Lindqvist | L 0–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–2 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Müller, Henning" | Henning Müller | L 3–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–3 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Norton, Brian" | Brian Norton | L 6–4, 12–10, 2–6, 8–6 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Syz, Hans" | Hans Syz | L 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 7–5 | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Woffek, Otto" | Otto Woffek | L 6–1, 6–3, 6–4 | did not advance | ||||||
| — | align=left data-sort-value="Nypels, Leopold" | Leopold Nypels | L w/o | did not advance | |||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Patterson, Gerald" | Gerald Patterson | L w/o | did not advance | ||||||
| align=left data-sort-value="Scholler, J." | J. Scholler | L w/o | did not advance | ||||||