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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Round of 128
John McEnroe #1 6-7 6-1 6-3 6-2
Juan Nunez #185
Tom Gullikson 6-1 6-4 6-4
Dominique Bedel #100
Pat Dupre #80 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-2
Jim Delaney #269
Chip Hooper #390 7-6 2-6 6-3 3-6 6-1
Tim Gullikson
Kevin Curren #45 7-6 6-4 7-6
Wojtek Fibak #15
Jay Lapidus #283 4-6 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-2
Mario Martinez
Mark Edmondson #52 6-3 6-2 6-1
Ivan Dupasquier #309
Christophe Roger-Vasselin #98 7-5 6-4 6-4
Andy Kohlberg #264
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Marty Davis #269 6-3 7-5 3-6 6-1
Lloyd Bourne #292
Brian Teacher #10 6-3 6-2 7-5
Bill Scanlon #35
Gene Mayer #7 6-4 6-2 6-2
John Hayes #99
Fritz Buehning #23 7-5 3-6 4-6 6-1 6-3
Craig Wittus #423
Dick Stockton #138 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4
Thierry Tulasne #58
Steve Krulevitz #98 6-3 6-2 2-6 7-5
Francisco Gonzalez #47
Vitas Gerulaitis #17 4-6 6-3 6-0 3-6 6-2
Terry Moor #49
Alejandro Cortes #175 6-3 4-6 4-6 7-6 7-5
Jimmy Brown
Harold Solomon #19 6-0 6-1 6-7 6-1
Derek Tarr #383
Jimmy Arias #75 6-1 7-6 6-2
Syd Ball #146
Ivan Lendl #3 6-2 6-2 6-2
Hans Simonsson #100
Jeff Borowiak #82 6-2 6-3 6-1
Pascal Portes #72
Mark Vines #510 6-3 2-6 6-2 4-3 (ret.)
Russell Simpson #85
Eddie Edwards #98 6-3 7-6 6-7 6-4
Eric Fromm #249
Bruce Manson #74 6-0 6-0 6-2
Danny Saltz #662
Richard Meyer #100 6-3 6-4 7-6
Bernie Mitton #94
Peter Mcnamara 7-6 2-6 6-3 6-3
John Fitzgerald #54
Peter Fleming #92 6-2 6-4 6-2
Mike Fishbach #389
Jose Luis Clerc #5 6-4 6-3 6-3
Brad Drewett #76
Tim Wilkison #81 6-4 2-6 7-6 6-4
John Alexander #98
Mel Purcell #28 3-6 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-3
Ilie Nastase #78
Shlomo Glickstein #37 6-4 6-4 6-2
Jonathan Smith
Bjorn Borg #2 6-2 6-2 6-0
Markus Gunthardt #209
Larry Stefanki #325 6-7 7-5 6-4 3-6 6-3
Phil Dent #53
David Carter #145 7-6 2-6 7-6 6-2
Jaime Fillol #94
Sammy Giammalva Jr 6-4 4-6 6-3 1-6 6-1
Heinz Gunthardt #47
Yannick Noah #14 6-3 6-3 6-7 4-6 6-2
Andy Andrews #440
Erik Van Dillen 4-6 6-0 4-6 6-1 6-4
John Benson #356
Trey Waltke #60 7-6 6-4 1-6 4-6 7-5
Sherwood Stewart
Bernard Fritz #97 6-2 2-6 6-1 7-5
Tony Giammalva #79
Roscoe Tanner #9 6-3 6-3 6-4
Craig Edwards #365
Chris Delaney #170 6-2 7-6 6-2
Ross Case #163
Chris Mayotte #124 6-1 6-4 6-4
Derek Segal #667
John James #209 6-4 6-4 5-7 6-4
Bruce Nichols #356
Guillermo Vilas #6 6-3 6-7 6-0 6-4
Drew Gitlin #667
Raul Ramirez #36 6-3 6-2 6-4
Haroon Ismail #99
Adriano Panatta #21 7-6 4-6 6-3 6-2
Ferdi Taygan #96
Roland Stadler #96 6-4 7-5 5-7 6-2
Steve Docherty #99
Jimmy Connors #4 6-0 6-0 6-2
John Lloyd
Marko Ostoja #203 6-1 6-2 6-2
Pedro Rebolledo #70
Andres Gomez #50 7-6 6-3 6-2
Van Winitsky #79
Chris Lewis #48 7-5 7-6 6-2
Hank Pfister #66
Mike Cahill #189 6-3 6-3 6-4
Steve Meister #510
Andrew Pattison 7-6 7-5 7-6
Marcel Freeman #335
Johan Kriek #12 6-2 6-3 7-5
Mike De Palmer
Matt Doyle 6-2 6-2 5-7 6-2
Jim Gurfein #219
Eliot Teltscher #8 6-2 6-2 6-4
Victor Amaya #43
John Austin 6-2 6-7 6-1 6-4
Nick Saviano #86
Vijay Amritraj #24 6-3 6-4 6-2
Scott Davis #457
Gilles Moretton #83 6-3 3-6 4-6 7-6 6-3
Ernie Fernandez #390
Brian Gottfried #18 6-4 6-4 6-1
Vincent Van Patten
Butch Walts #67 7-6 6-4 6-7 2-6 6-1
Rick Fagel #99
Tim Mayotte #42 6-3 6-4 6-7 6-3
Steve Denton #403
Scott Mccain #203 7-5 6-4 6-2
Bill Cowan #403
Round of 64
John McEnroe #1 6-3 6-1 6-3
Tom Gullikson
Pat Dupre #80 6-4 6-2 6-4
Chip Hooper #390
Kevin Curren #45 4-6 6-3 6-7 6-1 6-3
Jay Lapidus #283
Mark Edmondson #52 4-6 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-2
Christophe Roger-Vasselin #98
Ramesh Krishnan
BYE
Marty Davis #269 2-6 7-6 6-2 6-4
Brian Teacher #10
Gene Mayer #7 6-4 6-2 6-3
Fritz Buehning #23
Dick Stockton #138 6-4 6-4 6-2
Steve Krulevitz #98
Vitas Gerulaitis #17 7-5 6-0 6-1
Alejandro Cortes #175
Harold Solomon #19 7-6 7-6 3-3 (ret.)
Jimmy Arias #75
Ivan Lendl #3 7-6 6-1 7-6
Jeff Borowiak #82
Mark Vines #510 6-1 5-7 6-1 6-4
Eddie Edwards #98
Bruce Manson #74 6-0 6-2 3-6 4-6 6-2
Richard Meyer #100
Peter Mcnamara 6-4 6-2 5-7 6-3
Peter Fleming #92
Jose Luis Clerc #5 6-4 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-6
Tim Wilkison #81
Mel Purcell #28 6-4 6-4 7-5
Shlomo Glickstein #37
Bjorn Borg #2 6-4 6-4 6-4
Larry Stefanki #325
David Carter #145 4-6 6-2 1-6 6-4 6-0
Sammy Giammalva Jr
Yannick Noah #14 6-4 6-2 4-6 7-5
Erik Van Dillen
Trey Waltke #60 6-3 6-3 7-6
Bernard Fritz #97
Roscoe Tanner #9 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-1
Chris Delaney #170
Chris Mayotte #124 6-4 5-7 7-5 4-6 6-0
John James #209
Guillermo Vilas #6 6-1 6-3 6-2
Raul Ramirez #36
Adriano Panatta #21 7-5 6-3 6-1
Roland Stadler #96
Jimmy Connors #4 7-6 6-4 6-3
Marko Ostoja #203
Andres Gomez #50 6-4 6-3 6-3
Chris Lewis #48
Mike Cahill #189 6-4 6-1 7-6
Andrew Pattison
Johan Kriek #12 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-0
Matt Doyle
Eliot Teltscher #8 6-2 6-2 6-2
John Austin
Vijay Amritraj #24 7-5 6-3 6-4
Gilles Moretton #83
Brian Gottfried #18 7-6 6-4 6-2
Butch Walts #67
Tim Mayotte #42 6-3 3-6 4-6 6-1 6-2
Scott Mccain #203
Round of 32
John McEnroe #1 6-3 6-2 6-3
Pat Dupre #80
Kevin Curren #45 6-3 7-5 6-2
Mark Edmondson #52
Ramesh Krishnan 6-2 7-5 6-7 6-4
Marty Davis #269
Gene Mayer #7 6-4 6-4 6-1
Dick Stockton #138
Vitas Gerulaitis #17 6-3 6-2 6-3
Harold Solomon #19
Ivan Lendl #3 6-4 3-6 6-2 6-3
Mark Vines #510
Bruce Manson #74 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2
Peter Mcnamara
Jose Luis Clerc #5 6-3 0-6 0-6 6-4 6-3
Mel Purcell #28
Bjorn Borg #2 6-2 6-2 6-2
David Carter #145
Yannick Noah #14 6-3 6-4 6-4
Trey Waltke #60
Roscoe Tanner #9 7-6 6-1 6-2
Chris Mayotte #124
Guillermo Vilas #6 6-4 4-6 7-5 6-4
Adriano Panatta #21
Jimmy Connors #4 6-7 6-3 6-1 4-6 7-6
Andres Gomez #50
Mike Cahill #189 4-6 6-2 6-1 6-4
Johan Kriek #12
Eliot Teltscher #8 6-2 6-4 6-0
Vijay Amritraj #24
Brian Gottfried #18 6-2 6-3 6-7 7-6
Tim Mayotte #42
Round of 16
John McEnroe #1 7-5 6-0 6-1
Kevin Curren #45
Ramesh Krishnan 4-6 1-6 7-6 7-5?
Gene Mayer #7
Vitas Gerulaitis #17 6-3 6-4 3-6 3-6 6-4
Ivan Lendl #3
Bruce Manson #74 6-3 7-6 6-3
Jose Luis Clerc #5
Bjorn Borg #2 6-7 6-4 6-3 6-3
Yannick Noah #14
Roscoe Tanner #9 6-4 6-2 7-6
Guillermo Vilas #6
Jimmy Connors #4 6-3 6-3 6-1
Mike Cahill #189
Eliot Teltscher #8 6-4 6-0 5-7 1-6 6-3
Brian Gottfried #18
Quarterfinals
John McEnroe #1 6-7 7-6 6-4 6-2
Ramesh Krishnan
Vitas Gerulaitis #17 6-4 6-2 4-6 6-1
Bruce Manson #74
Bjorn Borg #2 7-6 6-3 6-7 7-6
Roscoe Tanner #9
Jimmy Connors #4 6-3 6-1 6-2
Eliot Teltscher #8
Semifinals
John McEnroe #1 5-7 6-3 6-2 4-6 6-3
Vitas Gerulaitis #12
Bjorn Borg #2 6-2 7-5 6-4
Jimmy Connors #3
Final
John McEnroe #1 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-3
Bjorn Borg #2

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

View full tournament history →

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Other Grand Slam tournaments in 1981

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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.