# 1974 U.S. Clay Court Championships – Men's singles

The 1974 U.S. Clay Court Championships – Men's singles was an event of the 1974 U.S. Clay Court Championships tennis tournament and was played on outdoor clay courts in Indianapolis, Indiana in the United States from August 5 through August 12, 1974. The draw comprised 64 players and 12 of them were seeded. Fourth-seeded Manuel Orantes was the defending champion U.S. Clay Court Championships singles champion but lost in the semifinals to Jimmy Connors. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won the title and $16,000 first-prize money by defeating third-seeded Björn Borg in the final, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4. It was their first encounter on clay courts.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Jimmy Connors (champion)
* Ilie Năstase (quarterfinals)
* Björn Borg (final)
* Manuel Orantes (semifinals)
* Raúl Ramírez (semifinals)
* Guillermo Vilas (quarterfinals)
* Brian Gottfried (quarterfinals)
* Onny Parun (quarterfinals)
* Jürgen Fassbender (second round)
* Hans-Jürgen Pohmann (third round)
* Karl Meiler (second round)
* Juan Gisbert (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

### Finals

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Jimmy Connors | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Onny Parun | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Onny Parun | 3 | 2 | | 1 | Jimmy Connors | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Manuel Orantes | 4 | 3 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Manuel Orantes | 6 | 6 | | 4 | Manuel Orantes | 4 | 3 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Guillermo Vilas | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Guillermo Vilas | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | 1 | Jimmy Connors | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Björn Borg | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| 7 | Brian Gottfried | 4 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Björn Borg | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| 3 | Björn Borg | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Björn Borg | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | Björn Borg | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | Raúl Ramírez | 5 | 7 | 4 | | | | | |
| 5 | Raúl Ramírez | 7 | 5 | | 5 | Raúl Ramírez | 5 | 7 | 4 | | | | | |
| 2 | Ilie Năstase | 5 | 5$^d$ | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Top half
#### 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 | J Connors | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P DuPré | 4 | 4 | | 1 | J Connors | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Dowdeswell | 6 | 6 | | | R Dowdeswell | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Faulk | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | 1 | J Connors | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 10 | H-J Pohmann | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 10 | H-J Pohmann | 2 | 1 | | | | |
| | J Kuki | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | H-J Pohmann | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | N Špear | 2 | 6 | 1 | | R Keldie | 3 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | R Keldie | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | J Connors | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | O Parun | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | O Parun | 3 | 2 |
| | F Pála | 3 | 2 | | 8 | O Parun | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Hancock | 4 | 6 | 6 | | J Singh | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Singh | 6 | 3 | 7 | | | | | | 8 | O Parun | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | S Ball | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | M Cahill | 3 | 5 | | | | |
| | M Cahill | 1 | 6 | 6 | | M Cahill | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Hardie | 6 | 4 | | | W Brown | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | W Brown | 7 | 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 |
| 4 | M Orantes | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Hose | 2 | 0 | | 4 | M Orantes | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | H-J Plötz | 5 | 5 | | | A Muñoz | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Muñoz | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | 4 | M Orantes | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | H Kary | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | B Lutz | 5 | 2 | | | | |
| | J McManus | 6 | 3 | 1 | | H Kary | 1$^r$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Lutz | 6 | 6 | | | B Lutz | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Saviano | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | M Orantes | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | G Vilas | 1 | 3 |
| | R Seegers | 4 | 3 | | 6 | G Vilas | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Loyo Mayo | 6 | 6 | | | J Loyo Mayo | 3 | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| | F Ponte | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | 6 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | A Zugarelli | 6 | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | P Kronk | 2 | 2 | | | | |
| | M Holeček | 0 | 7 | 6 | | M Holeček | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Dell | 6 | 4 | 6 | | P Kronk | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Kronk | 2 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### 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 |
| | E van Dillen | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Thung | 6 | 2 | | | E van Dillen | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Prajoux | 3 | 4 | | 11 | K Meiler | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | K Meiler | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | E van Dillen | 3 | 2 | | | | | |
| | R Evett | 4 | 4 | | | | | | 7 | B Gottfried | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | B Teacher | 6 | 6 | | | B Teacher | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Kamiwazumi | 1 | 5 | | 7 | B Gottfried | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | B Gottfried | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | 7 | B Gottfried | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| | J Whitlinger | 6 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | 3 | B Borg | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| | J-F Caujolle | 2 | 6 | 6 | | J-F Caujolle | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Hagey | 1 | 0 | | 12 | J Gisbert | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | J Gisbert | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 12 | J Gisbert | 4 | 3 | | | | | |
| | T Waltke | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | 3 | B Borg | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | K McMillan | 7 | 2 | 3 | | T Waltke | 0 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Holmes | 1 | 3 | | 3 | B Borg | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | B Borg | 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 | Quarterfinals |
| | H Rahim | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | V Amaya | 6 | 6 | | | V Amaya | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Delaney | 4 | 4 | | 9 | J Fassbender | 7 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | J Fassbender | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | V Amaya | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | W Higgins | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 5 | R Ramírez | 7 | 3 | 7 | | | | |
| | P Lall | 6 | 6 | 4 | | W Higgins | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Stewart | 2 | 6 | 4 | 5 | R Ramírez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | R Ramírez | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | R Ramírez | 7 | 5 |
| | R Barth | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | I Năstase | 5 | 5$^d$ |
| | J Pinto-Bravo | 6 | 6 | | | J Pinto-Bravo | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Kreiss | 2 | 1 | | | D Crealy | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Crealy | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | D Crealy | 0 | 4 | | | | | |
| | F McNair | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 2 | I Năstase | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | J Simpson | 7 | 1 | 3 | | F McNair | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Lara | 3 | 7 | 3 | 2 | I Năstase | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | I Năstase | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |