# 1981 US Open – Mixed doubles

Wendy Turnbull and Marty Riessen were the defending champions but lost in the first round to Wendy White and Mike Bauer.
Anne Smith and Kevin Curren won in the final 6–4, 7–6$^{(7–4)}$ against JoAnne Russell and Steve Denton.

## Seeds

Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.
* Betty Stöve / Frew McMillan (second round)
* Wendy Turnbull / Marty Riessen (first round)
* Anne Smith / Kevin Curren (champions)
* JoAnne Russell / Steve Denton (final)
* Virginia Ruzici / Ilie Năstase (quarterfinals)
* Pam Teeguarden / Heinz Günthardt (quarterfinals)
* Mary Lou Piatek / Ross Case (quarterfinals)
* Bettina Bunge / Dick Stockton (semifinals)

## 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

### Final

| Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 4 | JoAnne Russell Steve Denton | 4 | 6$^4$ | |
| 3 | Anne Smith Kevin Curren | 6 | 7$^7$ | |

### Top half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 1 | B Stöve F McMillan | 6 | 3 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Mascarin S Davis | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | B Stöve F McMillan | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Smith M Purcell | 7 | 3 | 6 | | P Smith M Purcell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Nagelsen R Meyer | 6 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | P Smith M Purcell | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| | K Rinaldi V Van Patten | 3 | 7 | 7 | | | | | 7 | M L Piatek R Case | 3 | 6 | 4 | | | | |
| | D Desfor G Hardie | 6 | 6 | 6 | | K Rinaldi V Van Patten | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Yeargin J Benson | 3 | 5 | | 7 | M L Piatek R Case | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | M L Piatek R Case | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | P Smith M Purcell | 6 | 4 |
| 4 | J Russell S Denton | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | J Russell S Denton | 7 | 6 |
| | D Fromholtz M Edmondson | 1 | 6 | | 4 | J Russell S Denton | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Kremer T Buford | 6 | 6 | | | M Kremer T Buford | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Pfaff R Fagel | 4 | 3 | | | | | | 4 | J Russell S Denton | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | I Kloss J Fillol | w/o | | | | | | | 6 | P Teeguarden H Günthardt | 4 | 4 | | | | | |
| | S Walsh D Ralston | | | | | I Kloss H Günthardt | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Morrison M Mitchell | 4 | 6 | 1 | 6 | P Teeguarden H Günthardt | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | P Teeguarden H Günthardt | 6 | 2 | 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 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 5 | V Ruzici I Năstase | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Forood K Kerns | 3 | 4 | | 5 | V Ruzici I Năstase | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Kiyomura M Estep | 6 | 6 | | | A Kiyomura M Estep | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Newton M Doyle | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | 5 | V Ruzici I Năstase | 7 | 2 | 6 | | | | |
| | R Fairbank P Cramer | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 3 | A Smith K Curren | 5 | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | S Acker C Leeds | 6 | 3 | 1 | | R Fairbank P Cramer | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Jordan J Delaney | 6 | 4 | | 3 | A Smith K Curren | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | A Smith K Curren | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | A Smith K Curren | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | B Bunge D Stockton | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | B Bunge D Stockton | 4 | 4 |
| ALT | S Margolin M Margolin | 5 | 0 | | 8 | B Bunge D Stockton | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Allen G Fritz | 7 | 5 | 7 | | L Allen G Fritz | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Hobbs E Fromm | 5 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 8 | B Bunge D Stockton | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | P Whytcross C Letcher | 7 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | W White M Bauer | 4 | 4 | | | | | |
| | L Romanov S Krulevitz | 5 | 6 | 4 | | P Whytcross C Letcher | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | W White M Bauer | 4 | 6 | 7 | | W White M Bauer | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | W Turnbull M Riessen | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |