# 1981 Avon Championships of Kansas – Singles

Martina Navratilova was the defending champion.
Second-seeded Andrea Jaeger won the title, defeating top-seeded Martina Navratilova in the final 6–3, 3–6, 7–5.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Martina Navratilova (final)
* Andrea Jaeger (champion)
* Wendy Turnbull (second round)
* Virginia Ruzici (quarterfinals)
* Sylvia Hanika (quarterfinals)
* Virginia Wade (second round)
* Mima Jaušovec (quarterfinals)
* Terry Holladay (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

### Final

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Martina Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Barbara Potter | 3 | 2 | | | | | |
| | Barbara Potter | 3 | 2 | 1 | Martina Navratilova | 3 | 6 | 5 |
| | | | | 2 | Andrea Jaeger | 6 | 3 | 7 |
| 4 | Virginia Ruzici | 2 | 3 | 2 | Andrea Jaeger | 6 | 3 | 7 |
| 2 | Andrea Jaeger | 6 | 6 | | | | | |

### Top half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 1 | Martina Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Anne Smith | 3 | 1 | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Wendy White | 4 | 6 | 2 | | S Acker | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | Sherry Acker | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Kate Latham | 6 | 4 | 7 | | | | | | Kate Latham | 3 | 2 | | | | |
| | Ann Kiyomura | 4 | 6 | 4 | | K Latham | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Pam Teeguarden | 6 | 1 | 6 | | P Teeguarden | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Terry Holladay | 4 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 |
| 3 | Wendy Turnbull | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | B Potter | 3 | 2 |
| | Yvonne Vermaak | 3 | 3 | | 3 | W Turnbull | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| | Barbara Potter | 6 | 6 | | | B Potter | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Barbara Hallquist | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | B Potter | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Sandy Collins | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | S Collins | 3 | 3 | | | | |
| | Rosalyn Fairbank | 4 | 3 | | | S Collins | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Sharon Walsh | 1 | 4 | | 6 | Virginia Wade | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Virginia Wade | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

| 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 | Mima Jaušovec | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Lucia Romanov | 4 | 3 | 7 | M Jaušovec | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Susan Mascarin | 6 | 6 | | S Mascarin | 1 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | Caroline Stoll | 3 | 0 | | | | | | 7 | M Jaušovec | 3 | 4 | | | | |
| | Kathleen Cummings | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 4 | V Ruzici | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Laura duPont | 1 | 3 | | K Cummings | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Barbara Jordan | 1 | 1 | 4 | V Ruzici | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Virginia Ruzici | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | V Ruzici | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | Sylvia Hanika | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | A Jaeger | 6 | 6 |
| | Mary-Lou Piatek | 0 | 3 | 5 | S Hanika | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Peanut Louie | 7 | 6 | | P Louie | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Betsy Nagelsen | 6 | 0 | | | | | | 5 | S Hanika | 2 | 5 | | | | |
| | JoAnne Russell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 2 | A Jaeger | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | Stacy Margolin | 4 | 0 | | J Russell | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Candy Reynolds | 3 | 1 | 2 | A Jaeger | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Andrea Jaeger | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |