WTA Cincinnati Open 1981 Draw & Results

Completed

Martina Navratilova won the 1981 Cincinnati Open, defeating Sylvia Hanika 6-2 6-4 in the final. The WTA 250 event was played January 19–25 on carpet courts in Cincinnati, United States.

The Cincinnati Open is a combined ATP and WTA event in the North American hard-court swing before the US Open.

Full tournament history →
Champion
Martina Navratilova
def. Sylvia Hanika , 6-2 6-4
Dates
Jan 19 — Jan 25
Location
Cincinnati, United States
Category
WTA 250
Surface
Carpet
Prize money
—

Arrows show an edition's recorded category and documented modern equivalent; unresolved editions keep their recorded category. Mapping details.

Results

Match type

31 recorded singles results

Cincinnati Open 1981 match log
WinnerScoreLoserH2HMatch DataDateRound
F (1)
Martina Navratilova 6-2 6-4 Sylvia Hanika H2H Match data Jan 25, 1981* F
SF (2)
Sylvia Hanika 6-0 6-1 Hana Mandlikova H2H Match data Jan 24, 1981* SF
Martina Navratilova 6-1 6-3 Joanne Russell H2H Match data Jan 24, 1981* SF
QF (4)
Joanne Russell 6-1 5-7 7-6 Pam Shriver H2H Match data Jan 24, 1981* QF
Hana Mandlikova 6-1 7-6 Virginia Wade CH H2H Match data Jan 24, 1981* QF
Martina Navratilova 6-3 6-1 Barbara Potter H2H Match data Jan 24, 1981* QF
Sylvia Hanika 6-2 6-4 Virginia Ruzici H2H Match data Jan 24, 1981* QF
R16 (8)
Virginia Ruzici 3-6 6-4 6-1 Mary Lou Piatek H2H Match data Jan 23, 1981* R16
Martina Navratilova 6-3 3-6 6-1 Iva Budarova H2H Match data Jan 23, 1981* R16
Hana Mandlikova 6-0 6-4 Stacy Margolin H2H Match data Jan 23, 1981* R16
Barbara Potter 7-5 6-4 Rosalyn Fairbank H2H Match data Jan 23, 1981* R16
Sylvia Hanika 3-6 6-2 6-3 Nina Bohm H2H Match data Jan 23, 1981* R16
Pam Shriver 7-5 6-2 Ann Kiyomura Hayashi H2H Match data Jan 23, 1981* R16
Virginia Wade CH 6-2 4-6 6-3 Kate Latham H2H Match data Jan 23, 1981* R16
Joanne Russell 1-6 7-5 6-1 Anne Smith H2H Match data Jan 23, 1981* R16
R32 (16)
Martina Navratilova 6-1 6-3 Beth Herr H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Joanne Russell 7-5 6-4 Bettina Bunge H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Virginia Wade CH 6-4 3-6 6-3 Mareen Louie Harper H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Ann Kiyomura Hayashi 6-3 6-2 Pam Teeguarden H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Anne Smith 6-4 7-5 Kathy Jordan H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Mary Lou Piatek 6-1 6-3 Yvonne Vermaak H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Pam Shriver 6-2 6-1 Marita Redondo H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Hana Mandlikova 6-1 6-4 Betty Stove H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Rosalyn Fairbank 7-5 3-6 6-3 Mima Jausovec H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32 Upset: winner had a 16 percent pre-match Elo win probability.
Iva Budarova 6-3 6-4 Diane Desfor H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Virginia Ruzici 4-6 6-3 6-1 Betsy Nagelsen H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Barbara Potter 6-0 6-1 Barbara Hallquist H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Nina Bohm 2-6 6-3 7-5 Claudia Kohde Kilsch H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Stacy Margolin 6-4 6-4 Wendy White H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Kate Latham 7-6 6-3 Sherry Acker H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32
Sylvia Hanika 6-1 6-0 Terry Holladay H2H Match data Jan 22, 1981* R32

Tournament Records

The leading Open Era records for Cincinnati Open.

Most Titles

Open Era singles titles. 4 players share this record.

  1. Barbara Potter 2 titles

Most Finals

Champion or runner-up finishes. 2 players share this record.

  1. Serena Williams 3 finals

Most Appearances

Editions with a recorded main-draw match. 2 players share this record.

  1. Caroline Wozniacki 13 appearances

View the full Cincinnati Open record book →

Open Era main-draw singles records from 1968 onward. Ranking records begin where reliable entering rankings are available.

Recent Finals

Recent Cincinnati Open finals
WinnerScoreRunner-upH2HMatch DataSeasonSurface
Coco Gauff #4 6-2 6-4 Jessica Pegula #3 H2H Match data 2026 Hard
Iga Swiatek #2 7-5 6-4 Jasmine Paolini #8 H2H Match data 2025 Hard
Aryna Sabalenka #2 6-3 7-5 Jessica Pegula #6 H2H Match data 2024 Hard
Coco Gauff #7 6-3 6-4 Karolina Muchova #17 H2H Match data 2023 Hard
Caroline Garcia #35 6-2 6-4 Petra Kvitova #28 H2H Match data 2022 Hard

View full tournament history →

Related Tournaments

Other WTA 250 tournaments in 1981

Previous editions of Cincinnati Open

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Cincinnati Open held?
Cincinnati Open is held in Cincinnati, United States.
Who is the latest recorded Cincinnati Open winner?
The 2026 Cincinnati Open was won by Coco Gauff, who defeated Jessica Pegula 6-2 6-4.
Who has won the most Cincinnati Open titles?
Barbara Potter, Coco Gauff, and others are tied for the most Cincinnati Open titles in the Open Era (since 1968), with 2 each.
When was the first Cincinnati Open played?
The first edition of Cincinnati Open was held in 1899.
What surface is Cincinnati Open played on?
Cincinnati Open is played on carpet courts.