# 1971 Australian Open – Men's singles

Ken Rosewall defeated defending champion Arthur Ashe in the final, 6–1, 7–5, 6–3 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1971 Australian Open. It was his third Australian Open singles title and seventh Grand Slam tournament singles title overall. Rosewall did not lose a set during the tournament, the first man to do so at a Grand Slam tournament in the Open Era.

## Seeds

All seeds receive a bye into the second round.
* Rod Laver (third round)
* Ken Rosewall (champion)
* Arthur Ashe (finals)
* Tom Okker (semifinals)
* Tony Roche (third round)
* Roy Emerson (quarterfinals)
* John Newcombe (third round)
* Roger Taylor (third round)
* Andrés Gimeno (second round)
* Marty Riessen (quarterfinals)
* Dennis Ralston (third round)
* Cliff Drysdale (quarterfinals)
* Nikola Pilić (second round)
* Fred Stolle (third round)
* Mark Cox (quarterfinals)
* Ismail El Shafei (third round)

## 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

### Final eight

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 15 | Mark Cox | 2 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Robert Lutz | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Robert Lutz | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | Robert Lutz | 4 | 4 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | Arthur Ashe | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| 3 | Arthur Ashe | 7 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 3 | Arthur Ashe | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| 12 | Cliff Drysdale | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Cliff Drysdale | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | 3 | Arthur Ashe | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| 10 | Marty Riessen | 3 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| 4 | Tom Okker | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Tom Okker | 6 | 6 | 6 | | 4 | Tom Okker | 2 | 6 | 4 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| 6 | Roy Emerson | 4 | 4 | 3 | | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| 2 | Ken Rosewall | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 1

| First round | 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 | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | | 1 | R Laver | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A Gardiner | 6 | 4 | 2 | | | | C Dibley | 5 | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| C Dibley | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 1 | R Laver | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | |
| R Maud | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | 15 | M Cox | 6 | 4 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | |
| J Cooper | 3 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 7 | | J Cooper | 3 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 15 | M Cox | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15 | M Cox | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | R Lutz | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | 8 | R Taylor | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| G Forbes | 2 | 4 | 4 | | | | P Dent | 3 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| P Dent | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 8 | R Taylor | 7 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | |
| R Lutz | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | R Lutz | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| M Rose | 3 | 4 | 5 | | | | R Lutz | 6 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 9 | A Gimeno | 4 | 5 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 2

| 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 | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | 3 | A Ashe | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| J Feaver | 6 | 2 | 4 | | R Ruffels | 4 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| R Ruffels | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 3 | A Ashe | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| F Sedgman | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 14 | F Stolle | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | |
| R Barth | 3 | 1 | 1 | | F Sedgman | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 14 | F Stolle | 7 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | A Ashe | 7 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | C Drysdale | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| | | | | 12 | C Drysdale | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| T Ulrich | 6 | 1 | 1 | | B Fairlie | 1 | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| B Fairlie | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 12 | C Drysdale | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | |
| R Wilson | 4 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | 5 | T Roche | 6 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | |
| R Moore | 6 | 6 | 7 | | R Moore | 3 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 5 | T Roche | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 3

| 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 |
| | | | | | | 7 | J Newcombe | 7 | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| G Masters | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1 | | | C Pasarell | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| C Pasarell | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 7 | J Newcombe | 7 | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| M Anderson | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | 10 | M Riessen | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | | | | | |
| W Bowrey | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | M Anderson | 6 | 4 | 3 | r. | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 10 | M Riessen | 7 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | M Riessen | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | T Okker | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | 13 | N Pilić | w/o | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| B Giltinan | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | B Giltinan | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| O Ishiguro | 4 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | B Giltinan | 3 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | |
| B Phillips-Moore | 6 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 4 | T Okker | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| J Alexander | 3 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | | B Phillips-Moore | 4 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | T Okker | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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 | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 6 | R Emerson | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| G Stilwell | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | | O Davidson | 5 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| O Davidson | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 6 | R Emerson | 6 | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| S Ball | 4 | 7 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | 11 | D Ralston | 3 | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | |
| R Case | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | | S Ball | 4 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 11 | D Ralston | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | R Emerson | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | K Rosewall | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | 16 | I El Shafei | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| F McMillan | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | | D Crealy | 4 | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| D Crealy | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 16 | I El Shafei | 0 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | |
| A Stone | 6 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | 2 | K Rosewall | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | |
| B Carmichael | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | B Carmichael | 5 | 5 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | K Rosewall | 7 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |