Background
He was the son of Frederic Richard Sears and Albertina Homer Shelton.
He was the son of Frederic Richard Sears and Albertina Homer Shelton.
Harvard University.
Sears learned to play tennis in 1879. Starting in the 1881 first round, he went on an 18-match unbeaten streak that would take him through the 1887 championships, after which he retired from the game. Not until 1921 was his 18-match unbeaten run overtaken (by Bill Tilden).
During his first three championships Sears did not lose a single set.
Sears was the first United States. Number. 1 in the USLTA rankings, when they began in 1885 and retained the ranking in 1886 and 1887.
He was ranked World Number. 5 for 1887 by Karoly Mazak.
Singles (7 titles)
Doubles (6 titles).
He was undefeated in the United States. Championships, he won the first of his seven consecutive titles in 1881 while still a student at Harvard. In those days the previous year"s winner had an automatic place in the final. Sears was the first 19-year-old to win in the United States., slightly older than Oliver Campbell was in 1890 and the youngest winner ever, Pete Sampras, in 1990. After giving up playing lawn tennis, Sears won the United States. Court Tennis singles title in 1892 and went on to serve as USTA President in 1887 and 1888.
