# 1981 U.S. Clay Court Championships – Women's singles

Top-seed Andrea Jaeger won the final and $27,500 first prize money by defeating second-seeded Virginia Ruzici in the final.

## Seeds

The top eight seeds received a bye into the second round. A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Andrea Jaeger (champion)
* Virginia Ruzici (final)
* Mima Jaušovec (semifinals)
* Regina Maršíková (semifinals)
* Dianne Fromholtz (second round)
* Sue Barker (quarterfinals)
* JoAnne Russell (third round)
* Anne Smith (quarterfinals)
* Mary Lou Piatek (second round)
* Sandy Collins (first round)
* Anne White (second round)
* Kathleen Horvath (second round)
* Pam Casale (third round)
* Kathy Rinaldi (third 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

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Andrea Jaeger | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Sue Barker | 1 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Sue Barker | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | Andrea Jaeger | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | 3 | Mima Jaušovec | 3 | 1 | | | | |
| 3 | Mima Jaušovec | 4 | 6 | 7 | 3 | Mima Jaušovec | 3 | 1 | | | | |
| 8 | Anne Smith | 6 | 1 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Anne Smith | 6 | 1 | 5 | | | | | 1 | Andrea Jaeger | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | 2 | Virginia Ruzici | 1 | 0 |
| | Hana Strachoňová | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Virginia Ruzici | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Regina Maršíková | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Regina Maršíková | 6 | 6 | | 4 | Regina Maršíková | 6 | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Virginia Ruzici | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | Susan Mascarin | 3 | 6 | 5 | 2 | Virginia Ruzici | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| 2 | Virginia Ruzici | 6 | 0 | 7 | | | | | | | | |

### 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 | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 1 | A Jaeger | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Sands | 4 | 2 | | Q | D Rubin | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | D Rubin | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | A Jaeger | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | R Richards | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | R Richards | 3 | 0 | | | | | | |
| | M Pinterová | 2 | 2 | | | R Richards | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Jevans | 1 | 2 | | 11 | A White | 6 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | A White | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | A Jaeger | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Q | L Doherty | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | S Barker | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| | R Tomanová | 6 | 7 | | | R Tomanová | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Skronská | 6 | 4 | 6 | | K Skronská | 2 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Henricksson | 3 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | R Tomanová | 4 | 7 | 4 | | | | | |
| | K Jones | 6 | 5 | 2 | | | | | | 6 | S Barker | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Y Brzáková | 2 | 7 | 6 | | Y Brzáková | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | S Barker | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | 3 | M Jaušovec | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Jaeger | 2 | 1 | | J DuVall | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J DuVall | 6 | 6 | | | | | 3 | M Jaušovec | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| Q | F Raschiatore | 2 | 0 | | | | | | P Vásquez | 3 | 3 | | | | | |
| | P Vásquez | 6 | 6 | | P Vásquez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A-M Fernandez | 6 | 6 | | A-M Fernandez | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | S Collins | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | 3 | M Jaušovec | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| 14 | K Rinaldi | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | 8 | A Smith | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| Q | Cissie Donigan | 1 | 3 | 14 | K Rinaldi | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | E Burgin | 6 | 6 | Q | E Burgin | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Fairbank | 2 | 3 | | | | | 14 | K Rinaldi | 4 | 4 | | | | | |
| Q | K Steinmetz | 6 | 6 | | | | | 8 | A Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | G Coles | 1 | 3 | Q | K Steinmetz | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 8 | A Smith | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### Section 3

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 5 | D Fromholtz | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Norton | 6 | 6 | | | B Norton | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | L duPont | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | B Norton | 6 | 6 | 1 | | | | |
| | H Strachoňová | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | H Strachoňová | 2 | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | D Gilbert | 6 | 0 | 2 | | H Strachoňová | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | B Remilton | 5 | 0 | | 12 | K Horvath | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | K Horvath | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | H Strachoňová | 3 | 1 |
| | D Freeman | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | R Maršíková | 6 | 6 |
| | A Moulton | 6 | 2 | 5 | | D Freeman | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Smith | 5 | 2 | | | V Nelson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | V Nelson | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | V Nelson | 2 | 1 | | | | | |
| | K Cummings | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 4 | R Maršíková | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | N Gregory | 2 | 3 | | | K Cummings | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | R Maršíková | 6 | 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 7 | J Russell | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Keil | 5 | 7 | 6 | | K Keil | 6 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | I Budařová | 7 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | 7 | J Russell | 5 | 5 | | | | | |
| | L Duk-hee | 4 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | S Mascarin | 7 | 7 | | | | | |
| | S Mascarin | 6 | 3 | 6 | | S Mascarin | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Y Vermaak | 6 | 6 | 2 | 9 | M L Piatek | 4 | 7 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | M L Piatek | 1 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | S Mascarin | 3 | 6 | 5 |
| 13 | P Casale | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | V Ruzici | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| | S Saliba | 2 | 1 | | 13 | P Casale | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Jordan | 6 | 6 | | | B Jordan | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | H Ludloff | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | 13 | P Casale | 5 | 1 | | | | | |
| | J Portman | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | 2 | V Ruzici | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | P Medrado | 6 | 6 | | | P Medrado | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | V Ruzici | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |