# 1972 Charlotte Tennis Classic – Singles

The 1972 Charlotte Tennis Classic – Singles was an event of the 1972 Charlotte Tennis Classic tennis tournament played at the Julian J. Clark Tennis Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina in the United States from April 18 through April 23, 1972. Arthur Ashe was the defending singles champion but lost in the first round. Second-seeded Ken Rosewall won the singles title, defeating unseeded Cliff Richey in the final, 2–6, 6–2, 6–2.

## Seeds

* Rod Laver (first round)
* Ken Rosewall (champion)
* Tom Okker (quarterfinals)
* Cliff Drysdale (semifinali)
* Arthur Ashe (first round)
* Bob Lutz (second round)
* Marty Riessen (quarterfinals)
* Charlie Pasarell (second round)
* John Newcombe (second round)
* Roy Emerson (second round)
* Roger Taylor (second round)
* John Alexander (semifinals)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* Alt = Alternate
* SE = Special exempt
* PR = Protected ranking
* ITF = ITF entry
* JE = Junior exempt
* w/o = Walkover
* r = Retired
* d = Defaulted
* SR = Special ranking

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| | Cliff Richey | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 4 | Cliff Drysdale | 2 | 3 | | | | | |
| 4 | Cliff Drysdale | 2 | 3 | | Cliff Richey | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| | | | | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 12 | John Alexander | 4 | 3 | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | Ken Rosewall | 6 | 6 | | | | | |

### Top half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 1 | Rod Laver | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mark Cox | 4 | 6 | 6 | | Mark Cox | 4 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Niki Pilić | 6 | 6 | | | Niki Pilić | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ray Ruffels | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | Mark Cox | 6 | 3 | 1 | | | | |
| | Fred Stolle | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | Cliff Richey | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Terry Addison | 3 | 1 | | | Fred Stolle | 4 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Cliff Richey | 6 | 7 | | | Cliff Richey | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Charlie Pasarell | 0 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Cliff Richey | 6 | 6 |
| | Ismail El Shafei | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Cliff Drysdale | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | Arthur Ashe | 4 | 1 | | | Ismail El Shafei | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Bill Bowrey | 6 | 7 | | | Bill Bowrey | 6 | 4 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Roy Barth | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | Bill Bowrey | 2 | 2 | | | | | |
| 10 | Roy Emerson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 4 | Cliff Drysdale | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Tom Leonard | 3 | 0 | | 10 | Roy Emerson | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Bob Maud | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | Cliff Drysdale | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Cliff Drysdale | 7 | 0 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 3 | Tom Okker | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tony Roche | 4 | 2 | | 3 | Tom Okker | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Roger Taylor | 6 | 7 | | 11 | Roger Taylor | 2 | 7 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| | Owen Davidson | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | 3 | Tom Okker | 2 | 4 | | | | |
| 12 | John Alexander | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 12 | John Alexander | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Allan Stone | 7 | 6 | 1 | 12 | John Alexander | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Bob Lutz | 6 | 6 | | 6 | Bob Lutz | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | Frank Froehling | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | John Alexander | 4 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | 7 | Marty Riessen | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Graham Stilwell | 6 | 6 | | | Graham Stilwell | 7 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | Jeff Borowiak | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | 7 | Marty Riessen | 2 | 0 | | | | |
| | Brian Fairlie | 1 | 5 | | | | | | | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 9 | John Newcombe | 6 | 7 | | 9 | John Newcombe | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Bob Carmichael | 2 | 4 | | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Ken Rosewall | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |