At the first All-England Badminton Championships in 1899 it was only the three doubles events played. So, it was the next year 1900 that the tournament was expanded to two days to include the men’s and woman’s singles.

Sydney Howard Smith from Stroud in Gloucestershire at the age of 28 became the first ever All-England men’s singles champion. In March 1900 almost 300 spectators turned up at the London Scottish Regiment Drill Hall, London’s Buckingham Gate to watch, there were 21 players in the men’s singles event. Unlike today’s rectangular courts, then courts were hourglass-shaped, 40 feet (13.4m) long x 20 feet (6.1m) wide and 16 feet (4.88m) wide at the net.

W. Oakes and Smith had little difficulty in reaching the men’s singles final with Smith beating Oakes 15-12, 11-15, 15-10.

1901 saw Sidney Smith defending his title and was given a bye into the second round where he was dispatched by the eventual winner Capt. H. W. Davies. Smith never entered the All-England again after that.