# 1981 Player's Canadian Open – Men's singles

Ivan Lendl was the defending champion.
Lendl successfully defended his title, defeating Eliot Teltscher in the final, 6–3, 6–2.

## Seeds

* John McEnroe (third round)
* Björn Borg (withdrew)
* Jimmy Connors (first round)
* Ivan Lendl (champion)
* Peter McNamara (third round)
* Eliot Teltscher (final)
* Brian Teacher (quarterfinals)
* Vitas Gerulaitis (second round)
* John Sadri (second round)
* Vijay Amritraj (semifinals)
* Tomáš Šmíd (third round)
* Sammy Giammalva Jr. (second round)
* Tom Gullikson (third round)
* N/A
* Shlomo Glickstein (semifinals)
* Kevin Curren (second 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 | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 10 | Vijay Amritraj | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| 6 | Eliot Teltscher | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 6 | Eliot Teltscher | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Eliot Teltscher | 3 | 2 |
| | | | | | 4 | Ivan Lendl | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Ivan Lendl | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | Ivan Lendl | 6 | 6 |
| 15 | Shlomo Glickstein | 7 | 2 | 3 | | | | |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | J McEnroe | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Hjertquist | 3 | 2 | | 1 | J McEnroe | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Lloyd | 1 | 3 | | | P Fleming | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Fleming | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | J McEnroe | 7 | 6 | 1 | | | | |
| | H Simonsson | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 10 | V Amritraj | 5 | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | B Cowan | 6 | 4 | | | H Simonsson | 1 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Carter | 0 | 4 | | 10 | V Amritraj | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | V Amritraj | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | V Amritraj | 6 | 6 |
| 12 | S Giammalva Jr. | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | S Denton | 2 | 2 |
| | T Wilkison | 3 | 4 | | 12 | S Giammalva Jr. | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Mitton | 6 | 4 | 6 | | B Mitton | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | JC Ayala | 4 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | B Mitton | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | |
| | R Van't Hof | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | S Denton | 4 | 7 | 7 | | | | |
| | S Denton | 6 | 6 | | | S Denton | 1 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | F Taygan | 3 | 2 | | 8 | V Gerulaitis | 6 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | V Gerulaitis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 3 | J Connors | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Waltke | 6 | 6 | | | T Waltke | 2 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | R Stadler | 1 | 6 | 2 | | C Roger-Vasselin | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | C Roger-Vasselin | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | C Roger-Vasselin | 3 | 2 | | | | |
| | H Günthardt | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | H Günthardt | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | N O'Rourke | 0 | 1 | | | H Günthardt | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| WC | G Michibata | 4 | 2 | | 16 | K Curren | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | K Curren | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | H Günthardt | 4 | 2 |
| 11 | T Šmíd | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | E Teltscher | 6 | 6 |
| Q | M Dickson | 2 | 6 | | 11 | T Šmíd | 7 | 3 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Norbäck | 5 | 0 | | | B Manson | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | B Manson | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 11 | T Šmíd | 3 | 4 | | | | |
| | B Fritz | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 6 | E Teltscher | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| WC | S Bonneau | 4 | 1 | | | B Fritz | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | R Meyers | 4 | 0 | | 6 | E Teltscher | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | E Teltscher | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 3

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 7 | B Teacher | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Austin | 7 | 2 | 4 | 7 | B Teacher | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Gurfein | 3 | 6 | 6 | | J Gurfein | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Du Pré | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | 7 | B Teacher | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | B Drewett | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | B Drewett | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | |
| Q | J Brabenec | 5 | 6 | | | B Drewett | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Meister | 6 | 6 | | | S Meister | 6 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | D Schneider | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | B Teacher | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | J Sadri | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | I Lendl | 6 | 6 |
| | M Edmondson | 1 | 4 | | 9 | J Sadri | 4 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Amritraj | 6 | 6 | | | A Amritraj | 6 | 4 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | G Holroyd | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | A Amritraj | 0 | 3 | | | | | |
| | Ti Gullikson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 4 | I Lendl | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | T Tulasne | 3 | 1 | | | Ti Gullikson | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Lewis | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | I Lendl | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | I Lendl | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 5 | P McNamara | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Giammalva | 3 | 3 | | 5 | P McNamara | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Fitzgerald | 6 | 6 | | | J Fitzgerald | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Kohlberg | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | 5 | P McNamara | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | |
| | P Dent | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 15 | S Glickstein | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | |
| | R Simpson | 6 | 4 | 7 | | R Simpson | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Docherty | 7 | 3 | 3 | 15 | S Glickstein | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | S Glickstein | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 15 | S Glickstein | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| 13 | To Gullikson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | R Krishnan | 6 | 3 | 4 |
| | D Bedel | 3 | 0 | | 13 | To Gullikson | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Fagel | 6 | 2 | | | P Feigl | 7 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Feigl | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 13 | To Gullikson | 1 | 3 | | | | | | |
| | N Saviano | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | R Krishnan | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | R Krishnan | 2 | 6 | 6 | | R Krishnan | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Stewart | 6 | 5 | 7 | | S Stewart | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | T Lundy | 4 | 7 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |