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.