1981 US Open – Men's singles

January 2025 1981 US Open USA John McEnroe SWE Björn Borg 4–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–3 128 16 1981 US Open (tennis) Two-time defending champion John McEnroe defeated Björn Borg in a rematch of the previous year's final, 4–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–3 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1981 US Open. It was his third US Open singles title and fourth major singles title overall. It was Borg's fourth runner-up finish at the US Open, his career-best finish at the event. The final would mark the 14th and final meeting between the pair (with McEnroe's victory leveling the rivalry at 7–7) as well as the last major appearance of eleven-time major champion Borg, due to his later retirement from the sport. He left the venue immediately after the final point, before the trophy ceremony. Seeds The seeded players are listed below. John McEnroe is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated. 30em USA John McEnroe (champion) SWE Björn Borg (finalist) TCH Ivan Lendl (fourth round) USA Jimmy Connors (semifinalist) ARG José Luis Clerc (fourth round) ARG Guillermo Vilas (fourth round) USA Gene Mayer (fourth round) USA Eliot Teltscher (quarterfinalist) USA Roscoe Tanner (quarterfinalist) USA Brian Teacher (second round) AUS Peter McNamara (third round) ZAF 1928 Johan Kriek (third round) FRA Yannick Noah (fourth round) POL Wojtek Fibak (first round) USA Vitas Gerulaitis (semifinalist) USA Brian Gottfried (fourth round) Draw Key Q = Qualifier WC = Wild card LL = Lucky loser r = Retired Final eight 150 USA John McEnroe 1 SWE Björn Borg 2 4 6 6 2 6 4 6 3 USA John McEnroe 1 USA Vitas Gerulaitis 15 5 7 6 3 6 2 4 6 6 3 USA Jimmy Connors 4 SWE Björn Borg 2 2 6 5 7 4 6 USA John McEnroe 1 IND Ramesh Krishnan 610 712 77 64 6 4 6 2 USA Vitas Gerulaitis 15 USA Bruce Manson 6 4 6 2 4 6 6 1 USA Eliot Teltscher 8 USA Jimmy Connors 4 3 6 1 6 2 6 USA Roscoe Tanner 9 SWE Björn Borg 2 64 77 3 6 77 64 67 79 Section 1 USA McEnroe 1 ZAF 1928 Curren 7 5 6 0 6 1 USA McEnroe 1 USA DuPré 6 3 6 2 6 3 AUS Edmondson ZAF 1928 Curren 3 6 5 7 2 6 USA McEnroe 1 USA Gullikson 6 3 6 1 6 3 USA DuPré USA Hooper 6 4 6 2 6 4 AUS Edmondson FRA Roger-Vasselin 4 6 3 6 6 1 6 4r USA Lapidus ZAF 1928 Curren 6 4 3 6 7 6 1 6 3 6 USA McEnroe 1 CHL Núñez 6 7 6 1 6 3 6 2 FRA Bedel USA Gullikson 1 6 4 6 4 6 USA DuPré USA Delaney 6 3 6 3 4 6 6 2 USA Gullikson USA Hooper 6 7 6 2 3 6 6 3 1 6 CHE Dupasquier AUS Edmondson 3 6 2 6 1 6 USA Kohlberg FRA Roger-Vasselin 5 7 4 6 4 6 BOL Martinez USA Lapidus 6 4 6 4 4 6 4 6 2 6 ZAF 1928 Curren POL Fibak 14 7 6 6 4 7 6 Section 2 IND Krishnan USA Mayer 7 4 6 6 1 7 6 7 5 USA Davis IND Krishnan 2 6 6 7 7 6 4 6 USA Stockton USA Mayer 7 4 6 4 6 1 6 USA Teacher 10 USA Davis 6 2 6 7 2 6 4 6 USA Smith IND Krishnan 4 6 3 6 3 6 USA Krulevitz USA Stockton 4 6 4 6 2 6 USA Buehning USA Mayer 7 4 6 2 6 3 6 USA Teacher 10 USA Scanlon 6 3 6 2 7 5 USA Davis USA Bourne 6 3 7 5 3 6 6 1 USA Sadri USA Smith 7 5 7 6 5 7 4 6 6 7 IND Krishnan SWE Hjertquist 6 1 6 1 6 3 PRY González USA Krulevitz 3 6 2 6 6 2 5 7 FRA Tulasne USA Stockton 6 4 3 6 4 6 4 6 USA Wittus USA Buehning 5 7 6 3 6 4 1 6 3 6 USA Hayes USA Mayer 7 4 6 2 6 2 6 Section 3 TCH Lendl 3 USA Gerulaitis 15 3 6 4 6 6 3 6 3 4 6 TCH Lendl 3 USA Vines 6 4 3 6 6 2 6 3 USA Solomon USA Gerulaitis 15 3 6 2 6 3 6 TCH Lendl 3 USA Borowiak 7 6 6 1 7 6 ZAF 1928 Edwards USA Vines 1 6 7 5 1 6 4 6 USA Arias USA Solomon 6 7 6 7 3 3 r COL Cortes USA Gerulaitis 15 6 7 0 6 1 6 TCH Lendl 3 SWE Simonsson 6 2 6 2 6 2 FRA Portes USA Borowiak 2 6 3 6 1 6 ZAF 1928 Edwards USA Fromm 6 3 7 6 6 7 6 4 USA Vines NZL Simpson 6 3 2 6 6 2 4 3 r AUS Ball USA Arias 1 6 6 7 2 6 RSA 1928 Tarr USA Solomon 0 6 1 6 7 6 1 6 USA Brown COL Cortes 3 6 6 4 6 4 6 7 5 7 USA Moor USA Gerulaitis 15 6 4 3 6 0 6 6 3 2 6 Section 4 USA Manson ARG Clerc 5 6 3 7 6 6 3 AUS McNamara 11 USA Manson 6 4 3 6 4 6 2 6 USA Purcell ARG Clerc 5 3 6 6 0 6 0 4 6 3 6 AUS McNamara 11 USA Fleming 6 4 6 2 5 7 6 3 USA Meyer USA Manson 0 6 2 6 6 3 6 4 2 6 USA Purcell ISR Glickstein 6 4 6 4 7 5 USA Wilkison ARG Clerc 5 4 6 7 5 4 6 7 5 6 7 AUS McNamara 11 AUS Fitzgerald 7 6 2 6 6 3 6 3 USA Fishbach USA Fleming 2 6 4 6 2 6 USA Meyer ZAF 1928 Mitton 6 3 6 4 7 6 USA Manson USA Saltz 6 0 6 0 6 2 ROU 1965 Năstase USA Purcell 6 3 3 6 4 6 6 3 3 6 GBR Smith ISR Glickstein 4 6 4 6 2 6 AUS Alexander USA Wilkison 4 6 6 2 6 7 4 6 AUS Drewett ARG Clerc 5 4 6 3 6 3 6 Section 5 USA Teltscher 8 USA Gottfried 16 6 4 6 0 5 7 1 6 6 3 USA Teltscher 8 IND Amritraj 6 2 6 4 6 0 USA Mayotte USA Gottfried 16 2 6 3 6 7 6 6 7 USA Teltscher 8 USA Austin 6 2 6 2 6 2 FRA Moretton IND Amritraj 5 7 3 6 4 6 USA McCain USA Mayotte 3 6 6 3 6 4 1 6 2 6 USA Walts USA Gottfried 16 6 7 4 6 2 6 USA Teltscher 8 USA Amaya 6 2 6 2 6 4 USA Saviano USA Austin 2 6 7 6 1 6 4 6 FRA Moretton PRI Fernandez 6 3 3 6 4 6 7 6 6 3 IND Amritraj USA Davis 6 3 6 4 6 2 CAN Cowan USA McCain 5 7 4 6 2 6 USA Mayotte USA Denton 6 3 6 4 6 7 6 3 USA Walts USA Fagel 7 6 6 4 6 7 2 6 6 1 USA Van Patten USA Gottfried 16 4 6 4 6 1 6 Section 6 USA Cahill USA Connors 4 3 6 3 6 1 6 ZAF 1928 Kriek 12 USA Cahill 6 4 2 6 1 6 4 6 ECU Gómez USA Connors 4 77 64 3 6 1 6 6 4 65 77 ZAF 1928 Kriek 12 USA Doyle 4 6 6 4 6 3 6 0 ZWE Pattison USA Cahill 4 6 1 6 6 7 ECU Gómez NZL Lewis 6 4 6 3 6 3 YUG Ostoja USA Connors 4 6 7 4 6 3 6 ZAF 1928 Kriek 12 USA De Palmer 6 2 6 3 7 5 USA Gurfein USA Doyle 2 6 2 6 7 5 2 6 USA Freeman ZWE Pattison 6 7 5 7 6 7 USA Cahill USA Meister 6 3 6 3 6 4 USA Winitsky ECU Gómez 6 7 3 6 2 6 NZL Lewis USA Pfister 7 5 7 6 6 2 CHL Rebolledo YUG Ostoja 1 6 2 6 2 6 GBR Lloyd USA Connors 4 0 6 0 6 2 6 Section 7 ARG Vilas 6 USA Tanner 9 4 6 2 6 613 715 ARG Vilas 6 ITA Panatta 7 6 4 6 7 5 6 4 USA Mayotte USA Tanner 9 6 7 1 6 2 6 ARG Vilas 6 MEX Ramírez 6 1 6 3 6 2 CHE Stadler ITA Panatta 5 7 3 6 1 6 AUS James USA Mayotte 4 6 7 5 5 7 6 4 0 6 USA Delaney USA Tanner 9 6 4 1 6 4 6 1 6 ARG Vilas 6 USA Gitlin 6 3 6 7 6 0 6 4 MEX Ramírez ZWE Ismail 6 3 6 2 6 4 CHE Stadler AUS Docherty 6 4 7 5 5 7 6 2 ITA Panatta USA Taygan 7 6 4 6 6 3 6 2 USA Nichols AUS James 4 6 4 6 7 5 4 6 CAN Segal USA Mayotte 1 6 4 6 4 6 AUS Case USA Delaney 2 6 6 7 2 6 USA Edwards USA Tanner 9 3 6 3 6 4 6 Section 8 FRA Noah 13 SWE Borg 2 77 62 4 6 3 6 3 6 FRA Noah 13 USA Waltke 6 3 6 4 6 4 AUS Carter SWE Borg 2 2 6 2 6 2 6 FRA Noah 13 USA Van Dillen 6 4 6 2 4 6 7 5 USA Waltke FRA Fritz 6 3 6 3 7 6 AUS Carter USA Giammalva Jr. 4 6 6 2 1 6 6 4 6 0 USA Stefanki SWE Borg 2 4 6 4 6 4 6 FRA Noah 13 USA Andrews 6 3 6 4 5 7 4 6 6 2 USA Benson USA Van Dillen 6 4 0 6 6 4 1 6 4 6 USA Waltke USA Stewart 7 6 6 4 1 6 4 6 7 5 USA Giammalva FRA Fritz 2 6 6 2 1 6 5 7 AUS Carter CHL Fillol Sr. 7 6 2 6 7 6 6 2 USA Giammalva Jr. CHE Günthardt 6 4 4 6 6 3 1 6 6 1 AUS Dent USA Stefanki 7 6 5 7 4 6 6 3 3 6 CHE Günthardt SWE Borg 2 2 6 2 6 0 6 References External links Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) – 1981 US Open Men's Singles draw 1981 US Open – Men's draws and results at the International Tennis Federation 1981 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles Grand Slam men's singles 1981 Australian Open – Men's singles Men's singles Men's singles Category:US Open (tennis) by year – Men's singles