That year, only clubs that were members of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (USNLTA) were permitted to enter.[3] Richard Sears won the men's singles at this tournament, which was the first of his seven consecutive singles titles.[4] From 1884 through 1911, the tournament used a challenge system whereby the defending champion automatically qualified for the next year's final, where he would play the winner of the all-comers tournament.