ATP US Open 1981 Draw, Results & Schedule

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John McEnroe won the 1981 US Open, defeating Bjorn Borg 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-3 in the final. The Grand Slam was played on hard courts in New York, United States, from September 1 to September 15, 1981.

Champion
John McEnroe
def. Bjorn Borg , 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-3
Dates
Sep 1 — Sep 15
Location
New York, United States
Category
Grand Slam
Surface
Hard
Prize money
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DateRoundWinnerScoreLoserH2HMatch
F (1)
Sep 15, 1981* F John McEnroe #1 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-3 Bjorn Borg #2 H2H Match data
SF (2)
Sep 14, 1981* SF Bjorn Borg #2 6-2 7-5 6-4 Jimmy Connors #3 H2H Match data
Sep 14, 1981* SF John McEnroe #1 5-7 6-3 6-2 4-6 6-3 Vitas Gerulaitis #12 H2H Match data
QF (4)
Sep 12, 1981* QF Jimmy Connors #4 6-3 6-1 6-2 Eliot Teltscher #8 H2H Match data
Sep 12, 1981* QF Bjorn Borg #2 7-6 6-3 6-7 7-6 Roscoe Tanner #9 H2H Match data
Sep 12, 1981* QF John McEnroe #1 6-7 7-6 6-4 6-2 Ramesh Krishnan — Match data
Sep 12, 1981* QF Vitas Gerulaitis #17 6-4 6-2 4-6 6-1 Bruce Manson #74 H2H Match data
R16 (8)
Sep 10, 1981* R16 Vitas Gerulaitis #17 6-3 6-4 3-6 3-6 6-4 Ivan Lendl #3 H2H Match data
Sep 10, 1981* R16 Ramesh Krishnan 4-6 1-6 7-6 7-5? Gene Mayer #7 — Match data
Sep 10, 1981* R16 John McEnroe #1 7-5 6-0 6-1 Kevin Curren #45 H2H Match data
Sep 10, 1981* R16 Jimmy Connors #4 6-3 6-3 6-1 Mike Cahill #189 H2H Match data
Sep 10, 1981* R16 Roscoe Tanner #9 6-4 6-2 7-6 Guillermo Vilas #6 H2H Match data
Sep 10, 1981* R16 Bruce Manson #74 6-3 7-6 6-3 Jose Luis Clerc #5 H2H Match data
Sep 10, 1981* R16 Bjorn Borg #2 6-7 6-4 6-3 6-3 Yannick Noah #14 H2H Match data
Sep 10, 1981* R16 Eliot Teltscher #8 6-4 6-0 5-7 1-6 6-3 Brian Gottfried #18 H2H Match data
R32 (16)
Sep 7, 1981* R32 John McEnroe #1 6-3 6-2 6-3 Pat Dupre #80 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Eliot Teltscher #8 6-2 6-4 6-0 Vijay Amritraj #24 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Bjorn Borg #2 6-2 6-2 6-2 David Carter #145 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Bruce Manson #74 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 Peter Mcnamara — Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Vitas Gerulaitis #17 6-3 6-2 6-3 Harold Solomon #19 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Jimmy Connors #4 6-7 6-3 6-1 4-6 7-6 Andres Gomez #50 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Guillermo Vilas #6 6-4 4-6 7-5 6-4 Adriano Panatta #21 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Gene Mayer #7 6-4 6-4 6-1 Dick Stockton #138 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Ramesh Krishnan 6-2 7-5 6-7 6-4 Marty Davis #269 — Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Brian Gottfried #18 6-2 6-3 6-7 7-6 Tim Mayotte #42 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Mike Cahill #189 4-6 6-2 6-1 6-4 Johan Kriek #12 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Jose Luis Clerc #5 6-3 0-6 0-6 6-4 6-3 Mel Purcell #28 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Roscoe Tanner #9 7-6 6-1 6-2 Chris Mayotte #124 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Ivan Lendl #3 6-4 3-6 6-2 6-3 Mark Vines #510 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Yannick Noah #14 6-3 6-4 6-4 Trey Waltke #60 H2H Match data
Sep 7, 1981* R32 Kevin Curren #45 6-3 7-5 6-2 Mark Edmondson #52 H2H Match data
R64 (31)
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Pat Dupre #80 6-4 6-2 6-4 Chip Hooper #390 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Johan Kriek #12 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-0 Matt Doyle — Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Bjorn Borg #2 6-4 6-4 6-4 Larry Stefanki #325 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 John McEnroe #1 6-3 6-1 6-3 Tom Gullikson — Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 David Carter #145 4-6 6-2 1-6 6-4 6-0 Sammy Giammalva Jr — Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Peter Mcnamara 6-4 6-2 5-7 6-3 Peter Fleming #92 — Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Vijay Amritraj #24 7-5 6-3 6-4 Gilles Moretton #83 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Marty Davis #269 2-6 7-6 6-2 6-4 Brian Teacher #10 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Yannick Noah #14 6-4 6-2 4-6 7-5 Erik Van Dillen — Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Brian Gottfried #18 7-6 6-4 6-2 Butch Walts #67 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Mike Cahill #189 6-4 6-1 7-6 Andrew Pattison — Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Jimmy Connors #4 7-6 6-4 6-3 Marko Ostoja #203 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Vitas Gerulaitis #17 7-5 6-0 6-1 Alejandro Cortes #175 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Kevin Curren #45 4-6 6-3 6-7 6-1 6-3 Jay Lapidus #283 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Trey Waltke #60 6-3 6-3 7-6 Bernard Fritz #97 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Jose Luis Clerc #5 6-4 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-6 Tim Wilkison #81 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Mel Purcell #28 6-4 6-4 7-5 Shlomo Glickstein #37 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Andres Gomez #50 6-4 6-3 6-3 Chris Lewis #48 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Dick Stockton #138 6-4 6-4 6-2 Steve Krulevitz #98 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Ivan Lendl #3 7-6 6-1 7-6 Jeff Borowiak #82 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Mark Edmondson #52 4-6 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-2 Christophe Roger-Vasselin #98 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Roscoe Tanner #9 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-1 Chris Delaney #170 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Chris Mayotte #124 6-4 5-7 7-5 4-6 6-0 John James #209 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Eliot Teltscher #8 6-2 6-2 6-2 John Austin — Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Bruce Manson #74 6-0 6-2 3-6 4-6 6-2 Richard Meyer #100 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Guillermo Vilas #6 6-1 6-3 6-2 Raul Ramirez #36 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Harold Solomon #19 7-6 7-6 3-3 (ret.) Jimmy Arias #75 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Tim Mayotte #42 6-3 3-6 4-6 6-1 6-2 Scott Mccain #203 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Mark Vines #510 6-1 5-7 6-1 6-4 Eddie Edwards #98 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Adriano Panatta #21 7-5 6-3 6-1 Roland Stadler #96 H2H Match data
Sep 5, 1981* R64 Gene Mayer #7 6-4 6-2 6-3 Fritz Buehning #23 H2H Match data
R128 (64)
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Vitas Gerulaitis #17 4-6 6-3 6-0 3-6 6-2 Terry Moor #49 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Jimmy Connors #4 6-0 6-0 6-2 John Lloyd — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Mike Cahill #189 6-3 6-3 6-4 Steve Meister #510 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Gilles Moretton #83 6-3 3-6 4-6 7-6 6-3 Ernie Fernandez #390 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Pat Dupre #80 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-2 Jim Delaney #269 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Mel Purcell #28 3-6 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-3 Ilie Nastase #78 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Marty Davis #269 6-3 7-5 3-6 6-1 Lloyd Bourne #292 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Alejandro Cortes #175 6-3 4-6 4-6 7-6 7-5 Jimmy Brown — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Jeff Borowiak #82 6-2 6-3 6-1 Pascal Portes #72 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Vijay Amritraj #24 6-3 6-4 6-2 Scott Davis #457 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Fritz Buehning #23 7-5 3-6 4-6 6-1 6-3 Craig Wittus #423 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Tim Mayotte #42 6-3 6-4 6-7 6-3 Steve Denton #403 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Guillermo Vilas #6 6-3 6-7 6-0 6-4 Drew Gitlin #667 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Bruce Manson #74 6-0 6-0 6-2 Danny Saltz #662 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Tom Gullikson 6-1 6-4 6-4 Dominique Bedel #100 — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Trey Waltke #60 7-6 6-4 1-6 4-6 7-5 Sherwood Stewart — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Chris Mayotte #124 6-1 6-4 6-4 Derek Segal #667 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Ramesh Krishnan 6-1 6-1 6-3 Per Hjertquist #91 — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Jose Luis Clerc #5 6-4 6-3 6-3 Brad Drewett #76 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Mark Vines #510 6-3 2-6 6-2 4-3 (ret.) Russell Simpson #85 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Kevin Curren #45 7-6 6-4 7-6 Wojtek Fibak #15 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Andres Gomez #50 7-6 6-3 6-2 Van Winitsky #79 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 John James #209 6-4 6-4 5-7 6-4 Bruce Nichols #356 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Matt Doyle 6-2 6-2 5-7 6-2 Jim Gurfein #219 — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Yannick Noah #14 6-3 6-3 6-7 4-6 6-2 Andy Andrews #440 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Eliot Teltscher #8 6-2 6-2 6-4 Victor Amaya #43 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Bernard Fritz #97 6-2 2-6 6-1 7-5 Tony Giammalva #79 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Brian Teacher #10 6-3 6-2 7-5 Bill Scanlon #35 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Larry Stefanki #325 6-7 7-5 6-4 3-6 6-3 Phil Dent #53 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Peter Fleming #92 6-2 6-4 6-2 Mike Fishbach #389 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Roscoe Tanner #9 6-3 6-3 6-4 Craig Edwards #365 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Jay Lapidus #283 4-6 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-2 Mario Martinez — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 David Carter #145 7-6 2-6 7-6 6-2 Jaime Fillol #94 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Brian Gottfried #18 6-4 6-4 6-1 Vincent Van Patten — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 John McEnroe #1 6-7 6-1 6-3 6-2 Juan Nunez #185 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Tim Wilkison #81 6-4 2-6 7-6 6-4 John Alexander #98 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Stan Smith #27 5-7 6-7 7-5 6-4 7-6 John Sadri #22 — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Andrew Pattison 7-6 7-5 7-6 Marcel Freeman #335 — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Jimmy Arias #75 6-1 7-6 6-2 Syd Ball #146 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Eddie Edwards #98 6-3 7-6 6-7 6-4 Eric Fromm #249 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Johan Kriek #12 6-2 6-3 7-5 Mike De Palmer — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Ivan Lendl #3 6-2 6-2 6-2 Hans Simonsson #100 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Bjorn Borg #2 6-2 6-2 6-0 Markus Gunthardt #209 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Roland Stadler #96 6-4 7-5 5-7 6-2 Steve Docherty #99 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Butch Walts #67 7-6 6-4 6-7 2-6 6-1 Rick Fagel #99 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 John Austin 6-2 6-7 6-1 6-4 Nick Saviano #86 — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Chip Hooper #390 7-6 2-6 6-3 3-6 6-1 Tim Gullikson — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Adriano Panatta #21 7-6 4-6 6-3 6-2 Ferdi Taygan #96 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Peter Mcnamara 7-6 2-6 6-3 6-3 John Fitzgerald #54 — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Shlomo Glickstein #37 6-4 6-4 6-2 Jonathan Smith — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Harold Solomon #19 6-0 6-1 6-7 6-1 Derek Tarr #383 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Mark Edmondson #52 6-3 6-2 6-1 Ivan Dupasquier #309 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Richard Meyer #100 6-3 6-4 7-6 Bernie Mitton #94 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Dick Stockton #138 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 Thierry Tulasne #58 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Scott Mccain #203 7-5 6-4 6-2 Bill Cowan #403 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Erik Van Dillen 4-6 6-0 4-6 6-1 6-4 John Benson #356 — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Raul Ramirez #36 6-3 6-2 6-4 Haroon Ismail #99 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Chris Delaney #170 6-2 7-6 6-2 Ross Case #163 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Steve Krulevitz #98 6-3 6-2 2-6 7-5 Francisco Gonzalez #47 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Sammy Giammalva Jr 6-4 4-6 6-3 1-6 6-1 Heinz Gunthardt #47 — Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Gene Mayer #7 6-4 6-2 6-2 John Hayes #99 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Christophe Roger-Vasselin #98 7-5 6-4 6-4 Andy Kohlberg #264 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Chris Lewis #48 7-5 7-6 6-2 Hank Pfister #66 H2H Match data
Sep 3, 1981* R128 Marko Ostoja #203 6-1 6-2 6-2 Pedro Rebolledo #70 H2H Match data

Most Titles

PlayerTitles
Jimmy Connors 5
Pete Sampras 5
Roger Federer 5
John McEnroe 4
Novak Djokovic 4

Recent Finals

SeasonSurfaceWinnerScoreRunner-upH2HMatch
2025 Hard Carlos Alcaraz 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 Jannik Sinner H2H Match data
2024 Hard Jannik Sinner 6-3 6-4 7-5 Taylor Fritz H2H Match data
2023 Hard Novak Djokovic 6-3 7-6(5) 6-3 Daniil Medvedev H2H Match data
2022 Hard Carlos Alcaraz 6-4 2-6 7-6(1) 6-3 Casper Ruud H2H Match data
2021 Hard Daniil Medvedev 6-4 6-4 6-4 Novak Djokovic H2H Match data

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is US Open held?
US Open is held in New York, United States.
Who won the most recent US Open?
The 2025 US Open was won by Carlos Alcaraz 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4.
Who has won the most US Open titles?
Jimmy Connors has won 5 US Open titles, the most by any player in the Open Era (since 1968).
When was the first US Open played?
The first edition of US Open was held in 1881.
What surface is US Open played on?
US Open is played on hard courts.