# 1896 U.S. National Championships – Men's singles

Robert Wrenn defeated the defending champion Fred Hovey in a rematch of the previous year's final, 7–5, 3–6, 6–0, 1–6, 6–1 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1896 U.S. National Championships.
Future champions Malcolm Whitman, William Clothier and Holcombe Ward made their debuts at the tournament this year.

## Draw
### Challenge round

| Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round |
| F Hovey | F Hovey | 5 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| R Wrenn | R Wrenn | 7 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 6 |

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| C Neel | C Neel | 6 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | |
| R Wrenn | R Wrenn | 2 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| R Wrenn | R Wrenn | 2 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 6 | R Wrenn | R Wrenn | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | W Larned | W Larned | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| W Larned | W Larned | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | W Larned | W Larned | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| EP Fischer | EP Fischer | 1 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |

### Earlier rounds
#### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | C Neel | C Neel | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | JR Carpenter | JR Carpenter | 1 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | C Neel | C Neel | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | C Cragin | C Cragin | 4 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E Lynman | E Lynman | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | C Cragin | C Cragin | 3 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | C Neel | C Neel | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | R Stevens | R Stevens | 4 | 0 | 9 | 7 |
| | | | | | EB Stevens | EB Stevens | 2 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| CR Budlong | CR Budlong | 7 | 6 | 6 | CR Budlong | CR Budlong | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| AWS Post | AWS Post | 5 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | CR Budlong | CR Budlong | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | |
| R Stevens | R Stevens | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | R Stevens | R Stevens | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| WC Grant | WC Grant | 2 | 3 | 3 | R Stevens | R Stevens | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| GH Miles | GH Miles | 8 | 6 | 6 | GH Miles | GH Miles | 4 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| RH Palmer | RH Palmer | 6 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| CM Pope | CM Pope | 9 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| HD Cleveland | HD Cleveland | 7 | 5 | 2 | | | CM Pope | CM Pope | 3 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| J Parmly Paret | J Parmly Paret | w/ | o | | | | J Parmly Paret | J Parmly Paret | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| C Cordier | C Cordier | | | | | | | | | | | | J Parmly Paret | J Parmly Paret | 1 | 0 | 3 | | | | | | |
| AP Hawes | AP Hawes | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | GL Wrenn | GL Wrenn | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| J McL Walton | J McL Walton | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | | AP Hawes | AP Hawes | 4 | 9 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| GL Wrenn | GL Wrenn | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | GL Wrenn | GL Wrenn | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| LH Turner | LH Turner | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | GL Wrenn | GL Wrenn | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| CA Gould | CA Gould | 2 | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | R Wrenn | R Wrenn | 2 | 9 | 7 | 9 |
| H Avery | H Avery | 6 | 2 | 5 | 3 | | CA Gould | CA Gould | 0 | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E Wrenn | E Wrenn | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | E Wrenn | E Wrenn | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W Clothier | W Clothier | 1 | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | E Wrenn | E Wrenn | 4 | 4 | 10 | | | | | | |
| R Wrenn | R Wrenn | 7 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | R Wrenn | R Wrenn | 6 | 6 | 12 | | | | | | |
| N.Perry E. Halliwell | N.Perry E. Halliwell | 9 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | R Wrenn | R Wrenn | 6 | 6 | 9 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| D Davis | D Davis | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | D Davis | D Davis | 1 | 8 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| JC Davidson | JC Davidson | 4 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 3

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| E Stille | E Stille | 9 | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| S Ward | S Ward | 7 | 2 | 6 | 2 | | E Stille | E Stille | 3 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W Larned | W Larned | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | W Larned | W Larned | 6 | 6 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| D Miller | D Miller | 4 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | W Larned | W Larned | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| GW Lee | GW Lee | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | GW Lee | GW Lee | 4 | 2 | 4 | | | | | |
| WA Bethel | WA Bethel | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 3 | GW Lee | GW Lee | 6 | 8 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| JK Willing | JK Willing | w/ | o | | | | JK Willing | JK Willing | 3 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A Thomson | A Thomson | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | W Larned | W Larned | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| MD Whitman | MD Whitman | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | MD Whitman | MD Whitman | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| J Talmage | J Talmage | 1 | 4 | 3 | | | MD Whitman | MD Whitman | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| C Cleveland | C Cleveland | 6 | 8 | 6 | | | C Cleveland | C Cleveland | 0 | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A Von Leslie | A Von Leslie | 4 | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | MD Whitman | MD Whitman | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| H Ward | H Ward | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | H Ward | H Ward | 3 | 2 | 0 | | | | | |
| LJ Grant | LJ Grant | 1 | 3 | 2 | | | H Ward | H Ward | 2 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| R Davis | R Davis | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | R Davis | R Davis | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| WW Reece | WW Reece | 3 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| G Sheldon | G Sheldon | 7 | 6 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| K Horton | K Horton | 5 | 3 | 6 | | G Sheldon | G Sheldon | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| J Neely | J Neely | 4 | 6 | 6 | 9 | J Neely | J Neely | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| RT Parke | RT Parke | 6 | 1 | 2 | 7 | | | | | | | G Sheldon | G Sheldon | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | |
| LE Ware | LE Ware | 6 | 8 | 6 | | | | | | | | LE Ware | LE Ware | 1 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| R Fincke | R Fincke | 1 | 6 | 2 | | LE Ware | LE Ware | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | YM Edwards | YM Edwards | 2 | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | G Sheldon | G Sheldon | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | EP Fischer | EP Fischer | 6 | 7 | 2 | 8 |
| | | | | | | WD Brownell | WD Brownell | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | RH Carleton | RH Carleton | w/ | o | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | RH Carleton | RH Carleton | 3 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | EP Fischer | EP Fischer | 6 | 8 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | W Jordan | W Jordan | 1 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | EP Fischer | EP Fischer | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |