# 1982 U.S. Clay Court Championships – Men's singles

José Luis Clerc was the defending champion, but lost to José Higueras in the semifinals. Fifth seed Higueras defeated Jimmy Arias in the final to claim the title and first prize money of $32,000.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Guillermo Vilas (second round)
* José Luis Clerc (semifinals)
* Mats Wilander (third round)
* Peter McNamara (second round)
* José Higueras (champion)
* Andrés Gómez (quarterfinals)
* Mel Purcell (quarterfinals)
* Balázs Taróczy (second round)
* John Alexander (first round)
* Jimmy Arias (final)
* Van Winitsky (first round)
* Pablo Arraya (quarterfinals)
* Kim Warwick (first round)
* Hans Gildemeister (quarterfinals)
* Ramesh Krishnan (second round)
* Fernando Luna (first 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 |
| | Hans Simonsson | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Andrés Gómez | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Andrés Gómez | 5 | 4 | | | Hans Simonsson | 6 | 6 | 0 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 10 | Jimmy Arias | 7 | 2 | 6 | | | | | |
| 10 | Jimmy Arias | 6 | 6 | | 10 | Jimmy Arias | 7 | 2 | 6 | | | | | |
| 14 | Hans Gildemeister | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Hans Gildemeister | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | 10 | Jimmy Arias | 5 | 7 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 5 | José Higueras | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| 5 | José Higueras | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | José Higueras | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| 12 | Pablo Arraya | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Pablo Arraya | 4 | 0 | | 5 | José Higueras | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | José Luis Clerc | 3 | 3 | | | | | | |
| 7 | Mel Purcell | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | José Luis Clerc | 3 | 3 | | | | | | |
| 2 | José Luis Clerc | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Levine | 3 | 2 | | 1 | G Vilas | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Simonsson | 6 | 6 | 6 | | H Simonsson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | B Csipkay | 0 | 7 | 1 | | | | | | | H Simonsson | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | CA Miller | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | M Cahill | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | |
| | D Pérez | 5 | 4$^r$ | | | CA Miller | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Cahill | 6 | 2 | 8 | | M Cahill | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | F Luna | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | H Simonsson | 7 | 6 |
| 11 | V Winitsky | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | A Gómez | 5 | 4 |
| | F Sauer | 6 | 6 | | | F Sauer | 6 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Aguilera | 3 | 7 | 6 | Q | J Aguilera | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Cortes | 6 | 5 | 1 | | | | | | Q | J Aguilera | 3 | 5 | | | | | |
| | R Fagel | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | 6 | A Gómez | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| | T Tulasne | 6 | 6 | | | T Tulasne | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Wilkison | 5 | 2 | | 6 | A Gómez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | A Gómez | 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 | P McNamara | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Goven | 3 | 6 | 1 | 4 | P McNamara | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Á Giménez | 7 | 6 | | | Á Giménez | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Kirmayr | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | Á Giménez | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| | B Drewett | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 10 | J Arias | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | A Gattiker | 3 | 2 | | | B Drewett | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Casal | 6 | 3 | | 10 | J Arias | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | J Arias | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | J Arias | 6 | 6 |
| 14 | H Gildemeister | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | H Gildemeister | 4 | 3 |
| Q | C Dowdeswell | 6 | 2 | | 14 | H Gildemeister | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | C Wittus | 2 | 4 | | | V Pecci | 3 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | V Pecci | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 14 | H Gildemeister | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | J Nyström | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | J Nyström | 4 | 1 | | | | |
| | J Granát | 4 | 1 | | | J Nyström | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | T Moor | 6 | 4 | 1 | 8 | B Taróczy | 7 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | B Taróczy | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 5 | J Higueras | 7 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Panatta | 5 | 6 | 1 | 5 | J Higueras | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Gehring | 6 | 6 | | | R Gehring | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | C Edwards | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | 5 | J Higueras | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | R Acuña | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | G Moretton | 3 | 3 | | | | |
| | G Moretton | 6 | 6 | | | G Moretton | 3 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | M Martinez | 6 | 6 | | | M Martinez | 6 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | K Warwick | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | J Higueras | 6 | 6 |
| 12 | P Arraya | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | P Arraya | 4 | 0 |
| | S Krulevitz | 3 | 3 | | 12 | P Arraya | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | A Ganzábal | 6 | 4 | 3 | | J Gurfein | 6 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Gurfein | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 12 | P Arraya | 7 | 7 | | | | |
| Q | T Högstedt | 2 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | 3 | M Wilander | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | JL Damiani | 6 | 6 | 6 | | JL Damiani | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Simonsson | 3 | 3 | | 3 | M Wilander | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | M Wilander | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| 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 | Quarterfinals |
| 7 | M Purcell | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Birner | 5 | 4 | | 7 | M Purcell | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Murphy | 2 | 1 | | | E Fromm | 5 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Fromm | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 7 | M Purcell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | M Ostoja | 3 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | J Brown | 3 | 4 | | | | | | |
| | J Brown | 6 | 6 | 6 | | J Brown | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J López-Maeso | 6 | 3 | 2 | 15 | R Krishnan | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | R Krishnan | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 7 | M Purcell | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| 9 | J Alexander | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | JL Clerc | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| | G Forget | 6 | 6 | | | G Forget | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Hayes | 6 | 6 | | Q | J Hayes | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Witsken | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | G Forget | 7 | 3 | 3 | | | | | |
| | J Avendaño | 1 | 4 | | | | | | 2 | JL Clerc | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | A Järryd | 6 | 6 | | | A Järryd | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Potier | 4 | 1 | | 2 | JL Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | JL Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |