# 1886 U.S. National Championships – Singles

Five-time defending champion Richard Sears defeated Robert Livingston Beeckman in the challenge round, 4–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–4 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1886 U.S. National Championships. For the first time, all matches were played as best of five sets.

## Draw
### Challenge round

| Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round |
| Richard Sears | Richard Sears | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |
| Robert L Beeckman | Robert L Beeckman | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| Joseph Clark | Joseph Clark | 5 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | |
| Howard Taylor | Howard Taylor | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| Howard Taylor | Howard Taylor | 6 | 6 | 6 | Howard Taylor | Howard Taylor | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| | | | | | Robert L Beeckman | Robert L Beeckman | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Robert L Beeckman | Robert L Beeckman | 6 | 6 | 6 | Robert L Beeckman | Robert L Beeckman | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Charles A Chase | Charles A Chase | 4 | 0 | 2 | | | | | | |

### 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 |
| | | | | | GM Brinley | GM Brinley | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| P Presbry | P Presbry | 6 | 6 | 6 | P Presbry | P Presbry | 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| R Gamble | R Gamble | 3 | 1 | 5 | | | | | | | | GM Brinley | GM Brinley | 0 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | J Clark | J Clark | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | J Clark | J Clark | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Edgar | Edgar | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | J Clark | J Clark | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | H Slocum | H Slocum | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| | | | | | H Slocum | H Slocum | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | O Campbell | O Campbell | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | H Slocum | H Slocum | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | PS Sears | PS Sears | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | PS Sears | PS Sears | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | WR Weeden | WR Weeden | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | | H Taylor | H Taylor | 0 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | J Dwight | J Dwight | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | H Taylor | H Taylor | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | W Berry | W Berry | 0 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | H Taylor | H Taylor | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | QA Shaw | QA Shaw | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | QA Shaw | QA Shaw | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | GA Smith | GA Smith | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | MS Paton | MS Paton | 1 | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| GA Smith | GA Smith | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | GA Smith | GA Smith | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| WH Barnes | WH Barnes | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 3

| 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 | Quarterfinals |
| E.A. Manice | E.A. Manice | 0 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| RL Beeckman | RL Beeckman | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | RL Beeckman | RL Beeckman | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | HM Sears | HM Sears | 2 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | |
| Miller | Miller | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| HM Sears | HM Sears | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | RL Beeckman | RL Beeckman | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | FS Mansfield | FS Mansfield | 4 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| C Nightingale | C Nightingale | 1 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| FS Mansfield | FS Mansfield | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | FS Mansfield | FS Mansfield | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | M Fielding | M Fielding | 4 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | |
| W Lewis | W Lewis | 2 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| M Fielding | M Fielding | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| SH Hooper | SH Hooper | 0 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| CA Chase | CA Chase | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | CA Chase | CA Chase | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Robbins | Robbins | 5 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | |
| A Rives | A Rives | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Robbins | Robbins | w/ | o | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | CA Chase | CA Chase | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | M Post | M Post | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| D'Invilliers | D'Invilliers | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| M Post | M Post | w/ | o | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | M Post | M Post | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | F Warren | F Warren | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | | | | | |
| F Warren | F Warren | 7 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| FW Taylor | FW Taylor | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |