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

Second-seed José Luis Clerc retained the title by defeating Ivan Lendl in the final and claimed first prize money of $32,000.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Ivan Lendl (final)
* José Luis Clerc (champion)
* Guillermo Vilas (semifinals)
* Harold Solomon (second round)
* Mel Purcell (quarterfinals)
* José Higueras (third round)
* Tomáš Šmíd (second round)
* Eddie Dibbs (first round)
* Hans Gildemeister (third round)
* José Luis Damiani (quarterfinals)
* Terry Moor (first round)
* Mario Martinez (first round)
* Heinz Günthardt (second round)
* Shlomo Glickstein (third round)
* Mark Edmondson (third round)
* Ricardo Ycaza (withdrew — expecting child)

## 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 | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Ivan Lendl | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | José Luis Damiani | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | José Luis Damiani | 2 | 4 | | 1 | Ivan Lendl | 6 | 7 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 3 | Guillermo Vilas | 3 | 5 | | | | | | |
| 3 | Guillermo Vilas | 6 | 6 | | 3 | Guillermo Vilas | 3 | 5 | | | | | | |
| | Ricardo Cano | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ricardo Cano | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | 1 | Ivan Lendl | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | José Luis Clerc | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| | Gilles Moretton | 6 | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | José Luis Clerc | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| | John Alexander | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | John Alexander | 3 | 7 | 6 | | John Alexander | 6 | 3 | 1 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | José Luis Clerc | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 5 | Mel Purcell | 3 | 3 | | 2 | José Luis Clerc | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 2 | José Luis Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | I Lendl | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Fagel | 2 | 1 | | 1 | I Lendl | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Núñez | 4 | 2 | | | J Benson | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Benson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | I Lendl | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | B Prajoux | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 14 | S Glickstein | 2 | 1 | | | | |
| | M Ampon | 1 | 3 | | | B Prajoux | 7 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | E Bengoechea | 4 | 3 | | 14 | S Glickstein | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | S Glickstein | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | I Lendl | 6 | 6 |
| 10 | JL Damiani | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | JL Damiani | 2 | 4 |
| | J Gurfein | 4 | 3 | | 10 | JL Damiani | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Krishnan | 6 | 2 | | | P Hjertquist | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Hjertquist | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 10 | JL Damiani | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | A Cortes | 7 | 5 | 4 | | | | | | 6 | J Higueras | 0 | 4 | | | | |
| | J Hayes | 5 | 7 | 6 | | J Hayes | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J López-Maeso | 1 | 1 | | 6 | J Higueras | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | J Higueras | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| 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 |
| 3 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Wittus | 0 | 1 | | 3 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Smith | 6 | 6 | 6 | | J Smith | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M De Palmer | 4 | 7 | 1 | | | | | 3 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | C Freyss | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | H Simonsson | 4 | 1 | | | | | |
| | T Lundy | 7 | 4 | 4 | | C Freyss | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Simonsson | 6 | 6 | | | H Simonsson | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | T Moor | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | G Vilas | 6 | 6 |
| 15 | M Edmondson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | R Cano | 3 | 1 |
| | M Cahill | 2 | 1 | | 15 | M Edmondson | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Joubert | 6 | 6 | | | D Joubert | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Holroyd | 4 | 1 | | | | | | 15 | M Edmondson | 7 | 6 | 0 | | | | |
| | Á Fillol | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | R Cano | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | R Cano | 6 | 6 | | | R Cano | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Lewis | 6 | 1 | 6 | | C Lewis | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | E Dibbs | 4 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 7 | T Šmíd | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Van't Hof | 2 | 4 | | 7 | T Šmíd | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | P Feigl | 6 | 6 | 2 | | G Moretton | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | G Moretton | 2 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | G Moretton | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | V Winitsky | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 9 | H Gildemeister | 4 | 6 | | | | |
| | M Hocevar | 5 | 3 | | | V Winitsky | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Denton | 3 | 6 | | 9 | H Gildemeister | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | H Gildemeister | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | G Moretton | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| | J Alexander | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | J Alexander | 3 | 7 | 6 |
| | B Gilbert | 3 | 3 | | | J Alexander | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | I Năstase | 6 | 6 | | | I Năstase | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | R Stadler | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | J Alexander | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | J Norbäck | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | D Carter | 4 | 3 | | | | |
| | D Carter | 4 | 6 | 6 | | D Carter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | M Ostoja | 1 | 1 | | 4 | H Solomon | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | H Solomon | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| 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 | M Purcell | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Složil | 0$^r$ | | | 5 | M Purcell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Orantes | 6 | 6 | | | M Orantes | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Birner | 4 | 2 | | | | | | 5 | M Purcell | 6 | 6 | 5 | | | | |
| | G Urpí | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | G Urpí | 7 | 1 | 4$^r$ | | | | |
| | F Maynetto | 1 | 5 | | | G Urpí | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Strode | 6 | 0 | | 13 | H Günthardt | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | H Günthardt | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | M Purcell | 3 | 3 |
| 12 | M Martinez | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | JL Clerc | 6 | 6 |
| | A Gómez | 2 | 6 | 6 | | A Gómez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Castellan | 6 | 6 | | | C Castellan | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Ayala | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | A Gómez | 6 | 3 | | | | | |
| | C Delaney | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 2 | JL Clerc | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | B Nealon | 3 | 3 | | | C Delaney | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Stewart | 4 | 4 | | 2 | JL Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | JL Clerc | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |