# 1938 Australian Championships – Men's singles

First-seeded Don Budge defeated fourth-seeded John Bromwich 6–4, 6–2, 6–1 in the final to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1938 Australian Championships.

## Seeds

The seeded players are listed below. Don Budge is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.
* Don Budge (champion)
* Gottfried von Cramm (semifinals)
* Henner Henkel (third round)
* John Bromwich (finalist)
* Adrian Quist (semifinals)
* Vivian McGrath (quarterfinals)
* Jack Crawford (third round)
* Gene Mako (quarterfinals)

## 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

### Finals

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 5 | Adrian Quist | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | George Holland | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | George Holland | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | | 5 | Adrian Quist | 4 | 2 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | 1 | Don Budge | 6 | 6 | 8 | | | | | |
| | Len Schwartz | 4 | 3 | 8 | | | 1 | Don Budge | 6 | 6 | 8 | | | | | |
| 1 | Don Budge | 6 | 6 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | Don Budge | 6 | 6 | 10 | | | | | | | | 1 | Don Budge | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | John Bromwich | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | Gene Mako | 4 | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | John Bromwich | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | John Bromwich | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | John Bromwich | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | 4 | John Bromwich | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | 2 | Gottfried von Cramm | 3 | 5 | 1 | | | | | |
| 6 | Vivian McGrath | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2 | Gottfried von Cramm | 3 | 5 | 1 | | | | | |
| 2 | Gottfried von Cramm | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |

### Earlier rounds
#### Section 1

| 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 |
| | Moon | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Bennett | 4 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Moon | 5 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | 5 | Quist | 7 | 8 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Bonner | 0 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Quist | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Quist | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Holland | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| | Holland | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Huxley | 7 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Holland | 1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | 3 | Henkel | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | | | | | | |
| | Pails | 5 | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Henkel | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| 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 |
| | Callaghan | 4 | 7 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Schwartz | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Schwartz | 7 | 5 | 6 | 8 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 7 | Crawford | 5 | 7 | 3 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Lovett | 4 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Crawford | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Schwartz | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Budge | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| | Weston | 3 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Whillans | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Whillans | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 1 | Budge | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | Hancock | 2 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | Budge | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 3

| 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 |
| | | | | | | Hopman | 6 | 6 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Harvey | 1 | 1 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Hopman | 6 | 4 | 5 | 1 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Mako | 3 | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Brodie | 3 | 7 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Mako | 6 | 9 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Mako | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Bromwich | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| | | | | | | Harper | w/o | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Gilchrist | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Gilchrist | 2 | 2 | 0 | | | | | | |
| Warhurst | 2 | 9 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | 4 | Bromwich | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| Maggs | 6 | 7 | 9 | 6 | | Maggs | 2 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Bromwich | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | Long | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Newcombe | 4 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Newcombe | 4 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | 6 | McGrath | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Stephen | 8 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | McGrath | 10 | 9 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | McGrath | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | von Cramm | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
| | Sidwell | 2 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Turnbull | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Turnbull | 0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | 2 | von Cramm | 6 | 6 | 4 | 8 | | | | | | | |
| | Wasley | 3 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | von Cramm | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |