Defending champion Guillermo Vilas defeated John Sadri in the final, 7–6(7–4), 6–3, 6–2 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1979 Australian Open. It was his second Australian Open title and fourth and last major singles title overall.
Seeds
The seeded players are listed below. Guillermo Vilas is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.