# 1972 Australian Open – Men's singles

Defending champion Ken Rosewall defeated Mal Anderson in the final, 7–6$^{(7–2)}$, 6–3, 7–5 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1972 Australian Open. It was his eighth and last Grand Slam tournament singles title, and at 37 years, 1 month old, he became the oldest major champion in men's singles in the Open Era.

## Seeds

The seeded players are listed below. Ken Rosewall is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.
* John Newcombe (quarterfinals)
* Ken Rosewall (champion)
* John Alexander (third round)
* Alex Metreveli (semifinals)
* Owen Davidson (second round)
* Tony Roche (withdrew before the tournament began)
* Colin Dibley (third round)
* Mal Anderson (finals)
* Dick Crealy (quarterfinals)
* Allan Stone (semifinals)
* John Cooper (quarterfinals)
* Geoff Masters (second round)

## Draw
### Key

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

### Final eight

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | John Newcombe | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Mal Anderson | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Mal Anderson | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 8 | Mal Anderson | 6 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | 4 | Alex Metreveli | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| 11 | John Cooper | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | | 4 | Alex Metreveli | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Alex Metreveli | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Alex Metreveli | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | 8 | Mal Anderson | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| | Barry Phillips-Moore | 6 | 5 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| 10 | Allan Stone | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Allan Stone | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | | 10 | Allan Stone | 6 | 1 | 6 | 2 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 7 | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | |
| 9 | Dick Crealy | 3 | 1 | 3 | | | 2 | Ken Rosewall | 7 | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | |
| 2 | Ken Rosewall | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 1

| 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 1 | J Newcombe | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| J Bartlett | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | J Bartlett | 2 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W Durham | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | 1 | J Newcombe | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| A McDonald | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | P Dominguez | 1 | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | |
| S Myers | 2 | 4 | 4 | | | A McDonald | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | P Dominguez | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | J Newcombe | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | M Anderson | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| | | | | | 12 | G Masters | 5 | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A Hammond | 3 | 3 | 4 | | | N Fraser | 7 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N Fraser | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | N Fraser | 2 | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W N'Godrella | 6 | 7 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | 8 | M Anderson | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| W Coghlan | 3 | 6 | 6 | 3 | | W N'Godrella | 4 | 6 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | M Anderson | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 2

| 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 | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | 5 | O Davidson | 3 | 6 | 1 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| R Casey | 1 | 0 | 3 | | F Sedgman | 6 | 1 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| F Sedgman | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | F Sedgman | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 11 | J Cooper | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | P Proisy | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 11 | J Cooper | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | J Cooper | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| R Case | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | A Metreveli | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| C Stubs | 1 | 3 | 1 | | R Case | 6 | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| B Lloyd | w/o | | | | J Stephens | 4 | 6 | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| J Stephens | | | | | | | | | | | R Case | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | |
| M Phillips | 4 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | 4 | A Metreveli | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| K Tanabe | 6 | 6 | 6 | | K Tanabe | 3 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 4 | A Metreveli | 6 | 6 | 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 | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | | 3 | J Alexander | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| R Rheinberger | w/o | | | | | | I Fletcher | 3 | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| I Fletcher | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | J Alexander | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | |
| S Ball | 3 | 7 | 5 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | B Phillips-Moore | 6 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | |
| J James | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | | | J James | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| R Frawley | 3 | 1 | 1 | | | | B Phillips-Moore | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| B Phillips-Moore | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | B Phillips-Moore | 6 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | A Stone | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| | | | | | | 10 | A Stone | 7 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A Gardiner | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | K Warwick | 5 | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| K Warwick | 7 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | 10 | A Stone | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| G Thomson | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | M Cocks | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| M Cocks | 6 | 4 | 7 | 7 | | | M Cocks | 6 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| J Zigmund | 3 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 6 | | J Zigmund | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| D McCormick | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 4

| First round | 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 7 | C Dibley | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| P Kronk | 5 | 3 | 1 | | | M Rose | 1 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| M Rose | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | 7 | C Dibley | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | |
| B Giltinan | 6 | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | 9 | D Crealy | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| K Hancock | 1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | | B Giltinan | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 9 | D Crealy | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | D Crealy | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | K Rosewall | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | J-P Meyer | 6 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | |
| C Letcher | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | | C Letcher | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| G Perkins | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | J-P Meyer | 3 | 1 | 3 | | | | | |
| J Kuki | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | K Rosewall | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| A Haswell | w/o | | | | | J Kuki | 3 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | K Rosewall | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |