# 1961 Australian Championships – Men's singles

Second-seeded Roy Emerson defeated Rod Laver 1–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 in the final to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1961 Australian Championships.

## Seeds

The seeded players are listed below. Roy Emerson is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.
* Rod Laver (finalist)
* Roy Emerson (champion)
* Bob Mark (third round)
* Bob Hewitt (third round)
* Mike Sangster (quarterfinals)
* Christian Kuhnke (quarterfinals)
* Bob Howe (third round)
* Fred Stolle (semifinals)
* Wayne Reid (third round)
* Ken Fletcher (quarterfinals)
* Sergio Tacchini (second round)
* Barry Phillips-Moore (semifinals)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* r = Retired

### Finals

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Rod Laver | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Ken Fletcher | 2 | 4$^r$ | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Ken Fletcher | 2 | 4$^r$ | | | 1 | Rod Laver | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 12 | Barry Phillips-Moore | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | |
| 12 | Barry Phillips-Moore | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 12 | Barry Phillips-Moore | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Christian Kuhnke | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Christian Kuhnke | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | 1 | Rod Laver | 6 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Roy Emerson | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| 5 | Mike Sangster | 3 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Roy Emerson | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | Fred Stolle | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Fred Stolle | 6 | 6 | 6 | | 8 | Fred Stolle | 6 | 2 | 5 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Roy Emerson | 8 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | |
| | John Pearce | 1 | 2 | 3 | | 2 | Roy Emerson | 8 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | |
| 2 | Roy Emerson | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Earlier rounds
#### Section 1

| Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | Laver | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | O'Kane | 2 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | 1 | Laver | 6 | 6 | 9 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Coghlan | 4 | 1 | 7 | | | | |
| | Tan | 1 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Coghlan | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Laver | 6 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | Fletcher | 2 | 4$^r$ |
| 10 | Fletcher | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ryan | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | 10 | Fletcher | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Shapter | 3 | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| | Shapter | 6 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Hearnden | 3 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | | 7 | Howe | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Potter | 1 | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | Howe | 2 | 9 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | Nette | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 12 | Phillips-Moore | 6 | 11 | 3 | 8 | | | | | | |
| | Pearson | 3 | 0 | 1 | | | Nette | 5 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Phillips-Moore | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 12 | Phillips-Moore | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | French | 2 | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | Phillips-Moore | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Hewitt | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Kuhnke | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| | Fraser | 1 | 5 | 1 | | 4 | Hewitt | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Hann | 6 | 2 | 6 | 7 | | Hann | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Pares | 1 | 6 | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | 4 | Hewitt | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | |
| | Hughes | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | | | | | | | 6 | Kuhnke | 6 | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | Johnson | 2 | 3 | 10 | 1 | | Hughes | 6 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Kuhnke | 6 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Kuhnke | 8 | 8 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | McPherson | 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 3

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 5 | Sangster | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | McKenzie | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | Sangster | 3 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stubs | 6 | 6 | 8 | | Stubs | 6 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Azman | 0 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | 5 | Sangster | | | | | | | | |
| | Mulligan | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 3 | Mark | w/o | | | | | | | |
| | Graham-Jones | 3 | 2 | 2 | | Mulligan | 3 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Mark | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | Mark | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Hillebrand | 1 | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Sangster | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 11 | Tacchini | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Stolle | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | Millen | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | Tacchini | 5 | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tobin | 6 | 6 | 6 | | Tobin | 7 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Shepherd | 3 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | Tobin | 3 | 3 | 3 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Stolle | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Reid | 13 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Stolle | 15 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | Pearce | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gibson | 4 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Pearce | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 9 | Reid | 2 | 2 | 0 | | | | | |
| | Holland | 7 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Reid | 9 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Pearce | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Emerson | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | Kearney | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stephens | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Kearney | 1 | 2 | 7 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Emerson | 6 | 6 | 9 | | | | | |
| | Hicks | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Emerson | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |