1972 French Open – Women's singles
# 1972 French Open – Women's singles

Billie Jean King defeated the defending champion Evonne Goolagong in the final, 6–3, 6–3 to win the women's singles title at the 1972 French Open. With the win, she completed the career Grand Slam in singles.

The French Lawn Tennis Federation halved the size of the draw from 64 to 32 players in an attempt to attract the top players on tour to the tournament; this change was reverted the following year as results were mixed.

## Seeds

The seeded players are listed below. Billie Jean King is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.

* Evonne Goolagong (Runner-up)
* Nancy Gunter (withdrew)
* Billie Jean King (champion)
* Rosemary Casals (first round)
* Françoise Dürr (semifinals)
* Virginia Wade (quarterfinals)
* Helga Niessen Masthoff (semifinals)
* Linda Tuero (first round)

## Draw

### Key

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

### Finals

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Evonne Goolagong | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Corinne Molesworth | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Corinne Molesworth | 2 | 2 | | 1 | Evonne Goolagong | 9 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | Françoise Dürr | 7 | 4 | | | | |
| | Olga Morozova | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | Françoise Dürr | 7 | 4 | | | | |
| 5 | Françoise Dürr | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Françoise Dürr | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | 1 | Evonne Goolagong | 3 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | 3 | Billie Jean King | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | Virginia Wade | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Billie Jean King | 6 | 6 |
| 3 | Billie Jean King | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Billie Jean King | 6 | 6 | | 3 | Billie Jean King | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | 7 | Helga Niessen Masthoff | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| 7 | Helga Niessen Masthoff | 6 | 8 | | 7 | Helga Niessen Masthoff | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| | Katja Ebbinghaus | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

### Earlier rounds

**Section 1**

| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | 1 | Evonne Goolagong | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Patricia Pretorius | 2 | 5 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Evonne Goolagong | 6 | 6 |
| | Kerry Harris | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | Kerry Melville | 2 | 3 |
| | Pam Teeguarden | 6 | 6 | Teeguarden | 7 | 8 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Laura duPont | 3 | 2 | Sawamatsu | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kazuko Sawamatsu | 6 | 6 | | | | | Teeguarden | 7 | 6 | 14 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Kerry Melville | 9 | 4 | 16 | | | | |

**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 | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Linda Tuero | 3 | 1 | | | |
| | Nathalie Fuchs | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | Molesworth | 6 | 6 | | | |
| | Corinne Molesworth | 7 | 6 | | | Molesworth | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | Sharon Walsh | 2 | 6 | 3 | Q | Pachta | 9 | 0 | 4 | | | | | | | |
| Q | Sonja Pachta | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | Molesworth | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Tegart-Dalton | 2 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Nell Truman | 3 | 1 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Judy Tegart-Dalton | 6 | 6 | | | |

**Section 3**

| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | 4 | Casals | 6 | 6 | | | |
| | Miloslava Holubová | 3 | 3 | | | | | | Rossouw | 8 | 8 | | | |
| | Wendy Gilchrist | 6 | 6 | Gilchrist | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Q | Barbara Downs | 2 | 0 | Rossouw | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | Laura Rossouw | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | Rossouw | 2 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Morozova | 6 | 8 |
| | | | | | | | | | Olga Morozova | 6 | 7 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Karen Krantzcke | 2 | 5 | | | |

**Section 4**

| 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 | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | 5 | Françoise Dürr | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| LL | Marina Chuvirina | 5 | 2 | | | | | | Walhof | 3 | 2 | | | | | |
| | Gertruida Walhof | 7 | 6 | | Walhof | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Cora Schediwy | 1 | 3 | Q | Széll | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Erzsébet Széll | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Dürr | 6 | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Overton | 3 | 5 |
| | | | | | | | | | Wendy Overton | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Lesley Hunt | 6 | 2 | 2 | | | | |

**Section 5**

| 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 | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | Neumannová | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| | Christina Sandberg | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | | Q | Schallau | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Patricia Coleman | 6 | 2 | 6 | | Coleman | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| LL | Ana María Pinto Bravo | 6 | 2 | 7 | Q | Schallau | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Mona Schallau | 4 | 6 | 9 | | | | | | | | | Q | Schallau | 4 | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Wade | 6 | 9 |
| | | | | | | | | | | Betty Stöve | 0 | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 6 | Virginia Wade | 6 | 6 | | | | |

**Section 6**

| 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 | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | Valerie Ziegenfuss | 9 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| | Lita Liem | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | Orth | 7 | 6 | 3 | | | | |
| | Heide Orth | 6 | 6 | | | Orth | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Alena Palmeová-West | 3 | 7 | 2 | Q | Ornstein | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Nancy Ornstein | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | Ziegenfuss | 3 | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | King | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | Winnie Shaw | 3 | 0 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 3 | Billie Jean King | 6 | 6 | | | | | |

**Section 7**

| 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 | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | Helen Gourlay Cawley | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Odile de Roubin | 2 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | Bonicelli | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| | Fiorella Bonicelli | 6 | 0 | 6 | | Bonicelli | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Ingrid Bentzer | 2 | 3 | | Q | Fernández de Soto | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Isabel Fernández de Soto | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | Gourlay Cawley | 6 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | Niessen Masthoff | 8 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | Brenda Kirk | 2 | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 7 | Helga Niessen Masthoff | 6 | 6 | | | | |

**Section 8**

| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round | Fourth round |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | Marijke Schaar | 5 | 5 | | | | |
| | Jill Cooper | 4 | 4 | | | | | | Ebbinghaus | 7 | 7 | | | | |
| | Katja Ebbinghaus | 6 | 6 | Ebbinghaus | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Michèle Gurdal | 0 | 0 | Vopičková | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | Vlasta Vopičková | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | Ebbinghaus | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Chanfreau | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | Gail Chanfreau | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | 2 | Nancy Gunter | w/o | | | | | |
