Arthur Ashe arrive à Londres dans la peau du tenant du titre. Le tirage au sort a été clément en lui désignant son modeste compatriote Ferdi Taygen, qu'il maîtrise en trois sets, mais sans véritablement convaincre : 7/5 6/4 7/5.

C'en est terminé des espoirs que le public aura placé sur le Britannique Buster Mottram, contraint à l'abandon face à l'Allemand Hans-Jürgen Pohmann : 9/8 6/1 0/0 ab.
Roger Taylor, figure de proue du tennis anglais, s'incline lui aussi dès son entrée en lice, victime de l'Indien Sashi Menon : 5/7 6/2 9/8 2/6 10/8.

Résultats
A. Ashe bat F. Taygan 7/5 6/4 7/5
A. Stone bat J. Yuill 6/4 4/6 6/1 6/3
M. Edmondson bat R. Moore 7/5 4/6 8/6 7/5 6/2
M. Farrell bat J. Royappa 6/4 6/2 6/4
V. Gerulaitis bat M. Holeček 7/5 6/1 7/5
M. Cox bat A. Muñoz 6/4 9/8 6/4
B. Martin bat S. Stewart 7/9 6/2 8/6 6/4
S. Krulevitz bat C. Dowdeswell 3/6 6/3 6/2 8/6
R. Ramírez bat C. Kachel 6/3 6/4 9/8
M. Wayman bat N. Holmes 6/3 6/4 3/6 6/0
K. Meiler bat M. Cahill 6/8 9/7 3/6 6/3 6/4
R. Ruffels bat J. McManus 9/7 6/1 6/1
J. Newcombe bat J. Hagey 8/9 9/8 6/4 6/1
J. Feaver bat H. Bunis 6/1 1/6 6/2 7/5
B. Mitton bat É. Deblicker 7/5 6/2 1/6 6/4
S. Menon bat R. Taylor 5/7 6/2 9/8 2/6 10/8
I. Năstase bat N. Špear 6/2 6/3 6/2
Ž. Franulović bat L. Álvarez 6/2 6/4 6/2
G. Masters bat B. Fairlie 6/4 6/2 6/0
K. Warwick bat R. Cano 6/4 6/2 6/1
J. Fillol bat R. Thung 6/1 6/2 6/3
R. Case bat P. McNamee 6/3 9/8 6/2
C. Lewis bat J. Hřebec 8/6 3/6 7/5 ab.
O. Parun bat J. Alexander 2/6 9/8 9/7 1/6 8/6
A. Panatta bat J. Andrew 4/6 6/4 7/5 6/4
D. Collings bat B. Hewitt 4/6 7/5 2/0 ab.
V. Amritraj bat F. Jauffret 9/8 6/3 6/4
C. Pasarell bat J. Kamiwazumi 6/3 6/1 6/3
T. Okker bat S. Mayer 6/3 6/2 6/4
V. Amaya bat J. Ganzábal 6/3 6/4 6/4
A. Pattison bat E. van Dillen 6/3 3/6 7/5 6/3
P. Dent bat J. Lloyd 4/6 5/7 6/3 9/8 7/5
W. Fibak bat J. Whitlinger 8/6 6/1 3/6 6/1
U. Pinner bat H. Kary 6/8 6/1 6/4 7/9 6/4
R. Reid bat I. Molina 6/4 5/7 6/3 6/4
T. Roche bat S. Ball 9/8 9/8 6/4
A. Metreveli bat G. Mayer 6/2 5/0 ab.
D. Stockton bat B. Lloyd 6/3 6/4 6/3
H. Rahim bat G. Goven 7/5 6/2 6/4
G. Vilas bat B. Phillips-Moore 6/3 6/1 6/4
T. Gorman bat M. Estep 7/9 6/2 6/4 9/7
B. Lutz bat J. Borowiak 4/6 6/4 6/4 6/4
J. Andrews bat R. Simpson 7/5 6/4 6/4
B. Gottfried bat T. Gullikson 4/6 6/3 6/2 9/7
J. Delaney bat J. Fassbender 6/2 3/6 6/8 6/3 6/3
C. Dibley bat P. Kronk 6/2 6/3 6/2
M. Riessen bat F. McMillan 6/3 6/3 8/6
B. Borg bat D. Lloyd 6/3 6/3 6/1
N. Pilić bat B. Bertram 6/2 7/5 6/2
V. Pecci bat P. Cramer 6/3 6/3 6/4
R. Lewis bat P. Proisy 6/4 2/6 6/2 1/6 8/6
B. Teacher bat J. Holladay 9/7 3/6 9/8 6/4
C. Kirmayr bat J. Smith 6/3 9/8 5/7 6/4
H.-J. Pohmann bat B. Mottram 9/8 6/1 ab.
K. Hirai bat V. Borisov 6/3 6/4 6/0
R. Tanner bat M. Robinson 8/6 7/5 6/4
T. Kakulia bat B. Taróczy 6/1 9/8 6/2
C. Drysdale bat R. Drysdale 6/2 6/3 6/4
G. Battrick bat H.-J. Plötz 6/3 6/3 7/5
S. Smith bat P. Cornejo 6/1 6/2 6/4
B. Carmichael bat D. Crealy 4/6 6/2 6/1 4/6 7/5
I. El Shafei bat J.-F. Caujolle 9/8 6/3 6/4
S. Warboys bat J. Marks 5/7 7/5 3/6 6/4 6/3
J. Connors bat A. Zugarelli 6/1 6/3 6/2