# 1971 French Open – Women's singles

Evonne Goolagong defeated Helen Gourlay in the final, 6–3, 7–5 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 1971 French Open. It was her first major singles title. Goolagong did not lose a set during the tournament. She was making her tournament debut.
Margaret Court was the two-time defending champion, but was defeated in the third round by Gail Chanfreau. This marked the first time since the 1964 US Championships that Court failed to reach a major quarterfinal, a run of 19 consecutive majors. It was also her earliest exit from a major since 1962 Wimbledon.

## Seeds

The seeded players are listed below. Evonne Goolagong is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.
* Margaret Court (third round)
* Virginia Wade (first round)
* Evonne Goolagong (champion)
* Nancy Gunter (semifinals)
* Helga Masthoff (first round)
* Françoise Dürr (quarterfinals)
* Julie Heldman (third round)
* Olga Morozova (second round)

## Draw
### Key

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

### Finals

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| | Gail Chanfreau | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | Helen Gourlay | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Helen Gourlay | 6 | 3 | 6 | | Helen Gourlay | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Nancy Richey | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| 4 | Nancy Richey | 6 | 6 | | 4 | Nancy Richey | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| | Lesley Bowrey | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Lesley Bowrey | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | Helen Gourlay | 3 | 5 |
| | | | | | | | | | 3 | Evonne Goolagong | 6 | 7 |
| 6 | Françoise Dürr | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Evonne Goolagong | 6 | 7 |
| 3 | Evonne Goolagong | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Evonne Goolagong | 6 | 6 | | 3 | Evonne Goolagong | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Marijke Schaar | 4 | 1 | | | | |
| | Marijke Schaar | 6 | 6 | | | Marijke Schaar | 4 | 1 | | | | |
| | Linda Tuero | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |

### Earlier rounds
#### Section 1

| 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 |
| | Wennerström | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | Court | 6 | 6 | 1 | Court | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Giscafré | 0 | 2 | | Melville | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Melville | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 1 | Court | 3 | 4 | | | | | |
| | Teeguarden | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | Chanfreau | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Chanfreau | 6 | 6 | | Chanfreau | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Pinto Bravo | 2 | 3 | | Palmeová-West | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Palmeová-West | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | Chanfreau | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| Q | Fuchs | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | Gourlay | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| 8 | Morozova | 6 | 6 | 8 | Morozova | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kirk | 4 | 3 | | Sawamatsu | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Sawamatsu | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | Sawamatsu | 6 | 2 | 5 | | | | |
| | Greenwood | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | Gourlay | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | Sandberg | 6 | 7 | | Sandberg | 7 | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Martinez | 1 | 4 | | Gourlay | 5 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gourlay | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| Q | Fernández-De Soto | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Richey | 6 | 6 | | 4 | Richey | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Repoux | 1 | 0 | | | Hunt | 5 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Hunt | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 4 | Richey | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | Spinoza | w/o | | | | | | | | | Rossouw | 5 | 2 | | | | |
| Q | Ebbinghaus | | | | Q | Ebbinghaus | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | Cooper | 6 | 1 | 3 | | Rossouw | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Rossouw | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Richey | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | Masthoff | w/o | | | | | | | | | | | | | Bowrey | 2 | 4 |
| | Ivanova | | | | | Ivanova | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Botha | 1 | 2 | | | Shaw | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Shaw | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | Shaw | 1 | 2 | | | | |
| | Porzio | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | Bowrey | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Bowrey | 6 | 6 | | | Bowrey | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Moore | 3 | 6 | 1 | | Bouteleux | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Bouteleux | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | Kaligis | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stöve | 6 | 6 | | | Stöve | 9 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Borka | 2 | 2 | | | Ziegenfuss | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ziegenfuss | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | Stöve | 5 | 7 | 4 | | | | |
| Q | Pachta | 2 | 7 | 2 | | | | | 6 | Dürr | 7 | 5 | 6 | | | | |
| | Austin | 6 | 5 | 6 | | Austin | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Holubová | 2 | 6 | | 6 | Dürr | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Dürr | 6 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Dürr | 3 | 0 |
| | Fretz | 7 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Goolagong | 6 | 6 |
| | Pericoli | 5 | 7 | 8 | | Pericoli | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Szabó | 1 | 6 | | | Emmanuel | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Emmanuel | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | Pericoli | 2 | 2 | | | | | |
| | Darmon | 4 | 2 | | | | | | 3 | Goolagong | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| Q | Gilchrist | 6 | 6 | | Q | Gilchrist | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Koudelka | 3 | 1 | | 3 | Goolagong | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Goolagong | 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | Liem | 7 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Walhof | 9 | 6 | | | Walhof | 6 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | de Roubin | 6 | 4 | 4 | | Schaar | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Schaar | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | Schaar | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | |
| | Harris | 2 | 7 | | | | | | | 7 | Heldman | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | |
| Q | Vest | 6 | 9 | | Q | Vest | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Van Brandis | 0 | 0 | | 7 | Heldman | 6 | 8 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Heldman | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | Schaar | 6 | 6 |
| | Bonicelli | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | Tuero | 2 | 3 |
| | Nasuelli | 6 | 3 | 6 | | Nasuelli | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Neumannová | 5 | 6 | 7 | | Szörényi | 3 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | Szörényi | 7 | 4 | 9 | | | | | | | Nasuelli | 7 | 3 | | | | |
| | Pigeon | 6 | 4 | 7 | | | | | | | Tuero | 9 | 6 | | | | |
| | Bentzer | 4 | 6 | 9 | | Bentzer | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Wade | 5 | | | | Tuero | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tuero | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |