# 1972 US Open – Women's singles

Defending champion Billie Jean King defeated Kerry Melville in the final, 6–3, 7–5 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 1972 US Open. It was her third US Open singles title and ninth major singles title overall. For the second consecutive year and third time in her career, King did not lose a set during the tournament.

## 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)
* Evonne Goolagong (third round)
* Chris Evert (semifinalist)
* Rosie Casals (quarterfinalist)
* Margaret Court (semifinalist)
* Nancy Richey Gunter (first round)
* Françoise Dürr (third round)
* Virginia Wade (quarterfinalist)
* Kerry Melville (finalist)

## 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 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Virginia Wade | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Virginia Wade | 2 | 5 | | 1 | Billie Jean King | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | Margaret Court | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| 4 | Rosie Casals | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | Margaret Court | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| 5 | Margaret Court | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Margaret Court | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | 1 | Billie Jean King | 6 | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | 9 | Kerry Melville | 3 | 5 |
| | Olga Morozova | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | 9 | Kerry Melville | 3 | 5 |
| 3 | Chris Evert | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Chris Evert | 3 | 6 | 7 | 3 | Chris Evert | 4 | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | 9 | Kerry Melville | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 9 | Kerry Melville | 6 | 6 | | 9 | Kerry Melville | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Pam Teeguarden | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |

### Earlier rounds
#### Section 1

| 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 |
| 1 | King | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Hogan | 3 | 2 | | 1 | King | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Emmanuel | 7 | 4 | 6 | | Emmanuel | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tuero | 6 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | 1 | King | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Walsh | 7 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | Walsh | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| | Liem | 6 | 6 | 3 | | Walsh | 7 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Stap | 4 | 6 | 6 | | Stap | 5 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | Beattie | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | King | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | Wade | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Wade | 2 | 5 |
| | Fernández-De Soto | 4 | 3 | | 8 | Wade | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Anthony | 2 | 6 | 6 | | Anthony | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Newberry | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | 8 | Wade | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Downs | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | Downs | 3 | 2 | | | | |
| | Molesworth | 2 | 4 | | | Downs | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Minford | 6 | 6 | | | Minford | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Austin | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| 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 | Quarterfinals |
| 4 | Casals | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Fuchs | 1 | 2 | | 4 | Casals | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ziegenfuss | 6 | 3 | 6 | | Ziegenfuss | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Doerner | 1 | 6 | 0 | | | | | 4 | Casals | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Bonicelli | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | Bonicelli | 0 | 4 | | | | | |
| | Berner | 3 | 4 | | | Bonicelli | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gilchrist | 6 | 6 | | | Gilchrist | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Guzmán | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Casals | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| 5 | Court | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Court | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| | Metcalf | 2 | 1 | | 5 | Court | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Hawcroft | 6 | 6 | | | Hawcroft | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Pinto Bravo | 3 | 4 | | | | | | 5 | Court | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Appleby | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | Hunt | 2 | 1 | | | | | |
| | Moor | 3 | 3 | | | Appleby | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Hunt | 6 | 6 | | | Hunt | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Evert | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### 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 | Quarterfinals |
| | Overton | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Nasuelli | 1 | 6 | 2 | | Overton | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stöve | 3 | 6 | 6 | | Stöve | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Fleming | 6 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | Stöve | 3 | 5 | | | | | |
| | Morozova | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | Morozova | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| | Kemmer | 3 | 7 | 0 | | Morozova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Sawamatsu | 6 | 4 | 6 | | Sawamatsu | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Richey Gunter | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | Morozova | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| | Heldman | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | 3 | Evert | 3 | 6 | 7 |
| | Blake | 6 | 4 | 3 | | Heldman | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | duPont | 6 | 6 | | | duPont | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Alvarez | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | Heldman | 1 | 2 | | | | | |
| | Redondo | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 3 | Evert | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | O'Shaughnessy | 1 | 3 | | | Redondo | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Evert | 6 | 6 | | 3 | Evert | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tenney | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| 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 |
| | Martinez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Vido | 0 | 4 | | Martinez | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Melville | 6 | 6 | 9 | Melville | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kroschina | 2 | 4 | | | | | | 9 | Melville | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Pigeon | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 7 | Dürr | 6 | 0 | 2 | | | | |
| | Vinton | 1 | 1 | | Pigeon | 7 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Dürr | 6 | 6 | 7 | Dürr | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Garcia | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | Melville | 6 | 6 |
| | Teeguarden | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | Teeguarden | 0 | 2 |
| | Sandberg | 2 | 4 | | Teeguarden | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Schallau | 6 | 6 | | Schallau | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gourlay | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | Teeguarden | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Krantzcke | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 2 | Goolagong | 5 | 1 | | | | | |
| | Beaven | 2 | 2 | | Krantzcke | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Goolagong | 6 | 6 | 2 | Goolagong | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kirk | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |