Which US Open men's champion won seven consecutive singles titles starting in 1881?

Richard Sears won seven consecutive US Open men’s singles titles from 1881 through 1887.

Sears dominated the earliest years of the tournament, then known as the U.S. National Championships. His first title came at the inaugural 1881 event, which was held at the Newport Casino in Rhode Island and restricted to members of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association’s clubs. International participation was allowed beginning in 1882.

Sears’s seven straight championships remain the tournament’s all-time record for consecutive men’s singles titles. William Larned and Bill Tilden also won seven men’s singles titles overall, but neither matched Sears’s uninterrupted run. Sears’s victories came during the amateur era and under the old challenge-round format, in which the defending champion advanced directly to the final.

That format matters when comparing eras: Sears had to play a complete draw only in some of his title defenses. Even with that historical qualification, his seven consecutive championships are the accepted record.