# 1971 US Open – Women's singles

Billie Jean King defeated Rosemary Casals in the final, 6–4, 7–6$^{(5–2)}$ to win the women's singles tennis title at the 1971 US Open. It was her second US Open singles title and sixth major singles title overall. For the second time in her career, King did not lose a set during the tournament.
Margaret Court was the two-time reigning champion, but did not participate this year.
This tournament marked the first major in which future world No. 1 and 18-time major singles champion Chris Evert competed in the main draw; she lost to King in the semifinals. Evert competed in 19 consecutive US Opens until her retirement in 1989, and failed to reach the semifinals only twice in that span.

## Seeds

The seeded players are listed below. Billie Jean King is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.
* Billie Jean King (champion)
* Rosemary Casals (final)
* Virginia Wade (withdrew before the tournament began)
* Kerry Melville (semifinalist)
* Françoise Dürr (third round)
* Judy Tegart-Dalton (quarterfinalist)
* Nancy Richey (third round)
* Julie Heldman (third round)

## Draw
### Key

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

### Final eight

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Billie Jean King | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Laura duPont | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Laura duPont | 3 | 5 | | 1 | Billie Jean King | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Chris Evert | 3 | 2 | | | | |
| | Lesley Hunt | 6 | 2 | 3 | | Chris Evert | 3 | 2 | | | | |
| | Chris Evert | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Chris Evert | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | 1 | Billie Jean King | 6 | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | 2 | Rosemary Casals | 4 | 6 |
| 6 | Judy Tegart-Dalton | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Rosemary Casals | 4 | 6 |
| 4 | Kerry Melville | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Kerry Melville | 6 | 7 | | 4 | Kerry Melville | 4 | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Rosemary Casals | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Joyce Williams | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | Rosemary Casals | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 2 | Rosemary Casals | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | |

### Earlier rounds
#### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | King | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Arth | 0 | 1 | | 1 | King | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gourlay | 6 | 6 | | | Gourlay | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kraft | 3 | 4 | | | | | | 1 | King | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Austin | 6 | 0 | 6 | | | | | | Tuero | 0 | 2 | | | | | |
| | Stap | 4 | 6 | 2 | | Austin | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tuero | 6 | 3 | 7 | | Tuero | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ziegenfuss | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | King | 6 | 7 |
| 7 | Richey | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | duPont | 3 | 5 |
| | Martinez | 2 | 3 | | 7 | Richey | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Subirats | 6 | 6 | | | Subirats | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stap | 0 | 3 | | | | | | 7 | Richey | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | |
| | duPont | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | duPont | 0 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Footman | 3 | 1 | | | duPont | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Sandberg | 4 | 6 | 6 | | Sandberg | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Hogan | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First 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 |
| | Gilchrist | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Schallau | 6 | 6 | | | Gilchrist | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tenney | 6 | 6 | | | Tenney | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gonnerman | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | Gilchrist | 1 | 1 | | | | | |
| | Hunt | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | Hunt | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Giscafré | 5 | 0 | | | Hunt | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Downs | 6 | 1 | 7 | | Downs | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Cooper | 2 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | Hunt | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | Dürr | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | Evert | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| | Aucamp | 4 | 0 | | 5 | Dürr | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Liem | 6 | 6 | | | Liem | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Reese | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | 5 | Dürr | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| | Eisel | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | Evert | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Holdsworth | 0 | 2 | | | Eisel | 6 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Evert | 6 | 6 | | | Evert | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Buding | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 3

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | Chanfreau | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Sawamatsu | 2 | 1 | | | Chanfreau | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Redondo | 6 | 6 | 6 | | Redondo | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | Kaligis | 7 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | Chanfreau | 2 | 2 | | | | |
| | Newberry | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 6 | Tegart-Dalton | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Pigeon | 0 | 2 | | | Newberry | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Tegart-Dalton | 6 | 6 | | 6 | Tegart-Dalton | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Berner | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Tegart-Dalton | 3 | 5 |
| | Pande | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Melville | 6 | 7 |
| | Metcalf | 3 | 3 | | | Pande | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Kemmer | 6 | 7 | | | Kemmer | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | Graebner | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | Pande | 4 | 2 | | | | |
| | Teeguarden | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | 4 | Melville | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Molesworth | 4 | 6 | 3 | | Teeguarden | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Melville | 6 | 6 | | 4 | Melville | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Bakker | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | Shaw | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Hansen | 1 | 1 | | | Shaw | 4 | 7 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Williams | 7 | 7 | | | Williams | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stuart | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | Williams | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Truman | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 8 | Heldman | 5 | 4 | | | | | |
| | O'Hara | 1 | 0 | | | Truman | 6 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Heldman | 6 | 6 | | 8 | Heldman | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gengler | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | Williams | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| | Palmeová-West | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Casals | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| | Moran | 2 | 3 | | | Palmeová-West | 7 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Harris | 6 | 6 | | | Harris | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Johnson | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | Harris | 1 | 1 | | | | | |
| | Overton | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 2 | Casals | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Louie | 3 | 3 | | | Overton | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Casals | 6 | 2 | 6 | 2 | Casals | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stöve | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |