# 1981 Donnay Indoor Championships – Singles

This was the first edition of the event.
Jimmy Connors won the title, defeating Brian Gottfried 6–2, 6–4, 6–3 in the final.

## Seeds

* Björn Borg (second round)
* Jimmy Connors (champion)
* Wojtek Fibak (second round)
* Brian Gottfried (final)
* Vijay Amritraj (quarterfinals)
* Tomáš Šmíd (first round)
* Kim Warwick (quarterfinals, retired)
* Heinz Günthardt (first round)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* Alt = Alternate
* SE = Special exempt
* PR = Protected ranking
* ITF = ITF entry
* JE = Junior exempt
* w/o = Walkover
* r = Retired
* d = Defaulted
* SR = Special ranking

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| | Rolf Gehring | 2 | 4 | | | | | |
| 4 | Brian Gottfried | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 4 | Brian Gottfried | 6 | 6 | 4 | Brian Gottfried | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| | | | | 2 | Jimmy Connors | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| | Sandy Mayer | 2 | 2 | 2 | Jimmy Connors | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | Jimmy Connors | 6 | 6 | | | | | |

### Top half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 1 | B Borg | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Boileau | 3 | 3 | | 1 | B Borg | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Gehring | 6 | 7 | | | R Gehring | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Hocevar | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | R Gehring | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | |
| | P Hutka | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | 5 | V Amritraj | 2 | 6 | 3 | | | | |
| | F Taygan | 6 | 6 | | | F Taygan | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Glickstein | 2 | 2 | | 5 | V Amritraj | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | V Amritraj | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | R Gehring | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | B Gottfried | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | B Gottfried | 6 | 6 |
| | B Scanlon | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 | B Gottfried | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Složil | 6 | 6 | | | P Složil | 1 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Martinez | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | 4 | B Gottfried | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | P Rennert | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | P Rennert | 6 | 3 | | | | | |
| | S Stewart | 1 | 4 | | | P Rennert | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Frawley | 6 | 6 | 7 | | R Frawley | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | H Günthardt | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 7 | K Warwick | 4 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Brichant | 6 | 1 | 5 | 7 | K Warwick | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Tulasne | 2 | 5 | | | T Stevaux | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Stevaux | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | 7 | K Warwick | 1$^r$ | | | | | |
| | A Maurer | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | S Mayer | 4 | | | | | |
| | S Mayer | 6 | 6 | | | S Mayer | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Feaver | 3 | 1 | | 3 | W Fibak | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | W Fibak | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | S Mayer | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | T Šmíd | 5 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | J Connors | 6 | 6 |
| | F Buehning | 7 | 7 | | | F Buehning | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Portes | 3 | 2 | | | T Waltke | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Waltke | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | F Buehning | 3 | 5 | | | | |
| | C Kirmayr | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | 2 | J Connors | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | P Du Pré | 6 | 6 | | | P Du Pré | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | A Gómez | 0 | 4 | | 2 | J Connors | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | J Connors | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |