The tournament was first held as the English Open in 1927 by the
English Table Tennis Association. Apart from a wartime break in the early 1940s, the tournament was held every year until 1980, and then every two years until the early 1990s. In 1996, the
ITTF decided to include that year's English Open in
Kettering as the very first event of the first ever
ITTF Pro Tour. The tournament went on to feature in the ITTF Pro Tour five more times, in 1997, 1999, 2001, 2009 and in 2011, when it was held for the last time. The record for the most men's singles tournament wins is held by
Richard Bergmann, who won six titles between 1939 and 1954, including two while representing Austria and four while representing England.
Maria Alexandru of Romania holds the record for the most women's singles tournaments wins, having won six titles between 1963 and 1974. ==Champions==