Men's singles in real tennis is the oldest world championship in sports. It predates the use of the term "real tennis," as the sport was simply "tennis" until lawn tennis gained popularity.

The championship has been maintained on a challenge basis — the champion retains the title until losing a challenge or retiring. Originally, the champion had the right to accept or reject a challenge, usually depending on the prize money put up by a challenger's sponsor. Several years could go by between challenge matches. Today the title must be defended every even-numbered year. The top four ranked players in the world (excluding the champion) play off for the right to challenge. The champion and challenger then play a match of up to 13 sets over multiple days. In theory this is the only match the champion has to play in the two years since winning the last one.

The most recent men's singles world championship was competed on April 25 and April 27, 2006 at the Oratory Tennis Club in Woodcote, South Oxfordshire where Robert Fahey won a eighth consecutive title match. The next challenge is scheduled for spring of 2008.

Mens World Singles Champions:
• 1740 Clergé
• 1765 Raymond Masson
• 1785 Joseph Barcellon
• 1816 Marchisio
• 1819 Philip Cox
• 1829 Edmund Barre
• 1862, 1871 Edmund Thompkins
• 1871 George Lambert
• 1885, 1890 Tom Pettitt
• 1890 Charles Saunders
• 1895, 1898, 1904 Peter Latham
• 1905, 1906 Cecil Fairs
• 1907 Peter Latham
• 1908, 1910 Cecil Fairs
• 1912 Fred Covey
• 1914 George Jay Gould II
• 1916, 1922, 1923, 1927 Fred Covey
• 1928, 1930, 1937, 1948, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952 Pierre Etchebaster
• 1955 Jim Dear
• 1957 Albert "Jack" Johnson
• 1959, 1966, 1968 Northrop Nox
• 1969, 1970 Pete Bostwick
• 1972, 1974 Jimmy Bostwick
• 1976, 1977, 1979 Howard Angus
• 1981, 1983, 1985 Chris Ronaldson
• 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993 Wayne Davies
• 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 Robert Fahey