# 1881 Wimbledon Championship – Singles

William Renshaw defeated Richard Richardson 6–4, 6–2, 6–3 in the All Comers' Final, and then defeated the reigning champion John Hartley 6–0, 6–1, 6–1 in the challenge round to win the gentlemen's singles tennis title at the 1881 Wimbledon Championships.

## 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

### Challenge round

| Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round | Challenge round |
| William Renshaw | William Renshaw | 6 | 6 | 6 | | |
| John Hartley | John Hartley | 0 | 1 | 1 | | |

### All comers' finals

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| Otway Woodhouse | Otway Woodhouse | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| William Renshaw | William Renshaw | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | William Renshaw | William Renshaw | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| Herbert Lawford | Herbert Lawford | 6 | 6 | 6 | | Herbert Lawford | Herbert Lawford | 6 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | |
| George S. Murray Hill | George S. Murray Hill | 1 | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | William Renshaw | William Renshaw | 6 | 6 | 6 | | |
| William Henry Darby | William Henry Darby | 0 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | Richard Richardson | Richard Richardson | 4 | 2 | 3 | | |
| Richard Richardson | Richard Richardson | 6 | 6 | 6 | | Richard Richardson | Richard Richardson | | | | | |
| | | | | | | bye | bye | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Second Place | Second Place | Second Place | Second Place | Second Place | Second Place | Second Place |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Herbert Lawford | Herbert Lawford | 3 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Richard Richardson | Richard Richardson | 6 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 |

### Earlier rounds
#### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second 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 | Quarterfinals |
| Mortimer Buckingham | Mortimer Buckingham | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Harry Grove | Harry Grove | 2 | 4 | 1 | | Mortimer D Buckingham | Mortimer D Buckingham | 1 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Otway Woodhouse | Otway Woodhouse | 6 | 6 | 6 | | O Woodhouse | O Woodhouse | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hubert H. Wilkes | Hubert H. Wilkes | 4 | 5 | 0 | | | | | | | | O Woodhouse | O Woodhouse | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| WM Bird | WM Bird | 0 | 0$^r$ | | | | | | | | | W Milne | W Milne | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | |
| Wilfred Milne | Wilfred Milne | 6 | 5 | | | W. Milne | W. Milne | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Mr. Castor | Mr. Castor | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | Castor | Castor | 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Robert W. Braddell | Robert W. Braddell | 5 | 3 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | O Woodhouse | O Woodhouse | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| William Renshaw | William Renshaw | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | W Renshaw | W Renshaw | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| William J. Down | William J. Down | 2 | 0 | 0 | | W Renshaw | W Renshaw | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Thomas Gallwey | Thomas Gallwey | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | T Gallwey | T Gallwey | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Arthur Stanley | Arthur Stanley | 6 | 3 | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | W Renshaw | W Renshaw | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| C Cheales | C Cheales | w/o | | | | | | | | | | E Lubbock | E Lubbock | 5 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | |
| BT Cotton | BT Cotton | | | | | C Cheales | C Cheales | 0 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Edgar Lubbock | Edgar Lubbock | w/o | | | | E Lubbock | E Lubbock | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| James Rankine | James Rankine | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| F Pollock | F Pollock | 2 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Champion Russell | Champion Russell | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | Champion Russell | Champion Russell | 5 | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| HC Jenkins | HC Jenkins | w/o | | | | | HC Jenkins | HC Jenkins | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| R Pollock | R Pollock | | | | | | | | | | | | | HC Jenkins | HC Jenkins | 4 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | |
| WH Edward | WH Edward | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | H Lawford | H Lawford | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| JM Thornycroft | JM Thornycroft | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | WH Edward | WH Edward | 3 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Herbert Lawford | Herbert Lawford | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | H Lawford | H Lawford | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| CJ Cole | CJ Cole | 0 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | H Lawford | H Lawford | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| GS Murray-Hill | GS Murray-Hill | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | GS Murray-Hill | GS Murray-Hill | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| ES Saxton | ES Saxton | 6 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | GS Murray-Hill | GS Murray-Hill | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A Keyser | A Keyser | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | A Keyser | A Keyser | 5 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| C Wallis | C Wallis | 3 | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | GS Murray-Hill | GS Murray-Hill | 6 | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| Minden Fenwick | Minden Fenwick | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | Minden Fenwick | Minden Fenwick | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | | | | | |
| HR Hallward | HR Hallward | 3 | 2 | 6 | 4 | | Minden Fenwick | Minden Fenwick | 6 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Arthur Chitty | Arthur Chitty | 6 | 2 | 6 | 6 | | A Chitty | A Chitty | 3 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| ML Hallward | ML Hallward | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 3

| First round | 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| Henry Mulholland | Henry Mulholland | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| B Follett | B Follett | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0$^r$ | H Mulholland | H Mulholland | 3 | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| WH Darby | WH Darby | 6 | 6 | 6 | | WH Darby | WH Darby | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| FH Stokes | FH Stokes | 2 | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | WH Darby | WH Darby | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | | | | | |
| FL Rawson | FL Rawson | w/o | | | | | | | | | Pollux | Pollux | 5 | 5 | 6 | 3 | | | | | |
| George Montgomerie | George Montgomerie | | | | | FL Rawson | FL Rawson | 5 | 4 | 0$^r$ | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Pollux | Pollux | 6 | 6 | 6 | | Pollux | Pollux | 6 | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| J Wilkes | J Wilkes | 3 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | WH Darby | WH Darby | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Ernest Renshaw | Ernest Renshaw | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | R Richardson | R Richardson | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| John Galbraith Horn | John Galbraith Horn | 2 | 2 | 4 | | E Renshaw | E Renshaw | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| JC Maxwell-Scott | JC Maxwell-Scott | 6 | 1 | 6 | 6 | JC Maxwell-Scott | JC Maxwell-Scott | 0 | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| HB Porter | HB Porter | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | E Renshaw | E Renshaw | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | | | | | |
| Michael G. McNamara | Michael G. McNamara | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | R Richardson | R Richardson | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| William Taylor | William Taylor | 2 | 4 | 1 | | MG MacNamara | MG MacNamara | 2 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| AH Cochran | AH Cochran | 0 | 1 | 2 | | R Richardson | R Richardson | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Richard Richardson | Richard Richardson | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |