# 1981 Custom Credit Australian Indoor Championships – Singles

John McEnroe was the defending champion and won in the final 6–4, 7–5, 6–2 against Roscoe Tanner.

## Seeds

* John McEnroe (champion)
* Roscoe Tanner (final)
* Eliot Teltscher (semifinals)
* Peter McNamara (quarterfinals)
* Vitas Gerulaitis (quarterfinals)
* Víctor Pecci (quarterfinals)
* Kim Warwick (first round)
* Tom Gullikson (quarterfinals)

## 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 | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | John McEnroe | 7 | 7 | | | | | |
| 3 | Eliot Teltscher | 5 | 6 | | | | | |
| 3 | Eliot Teltscher | 5 | 6 | 1 | John McEnroe | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| | | | | 2 | Roscoe Tanner | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| | John Fitzgerald | 2 | 3 | 2 | Roscoe Tanner | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| 2 | Roscoe Tanner | 6 | 6 | | | | | |

### Section 1

| 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 | J McEnroe | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Drewett | 1 | 4 | 1 | J McEnroe | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | R Frawley | 6 | 7 | | R Frawley | 1 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | P Fleming | 4 | 6 | | | | | 1 | J McEnroe | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | M Edmondson | 6 | 6 | | | | | 8 | Tom Gullikson | 0 | 1 | | | | |
| | P Dent | 4 | 1 | | M Edmondson | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | C Fancutt | 3 | 5 | 8 | Tom Gullikson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Tom Gullikson | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | 1 | J McEnroe | 7 | 7 |
| 3 | E Teltscher | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | 3 | E Teltscher | 5 | 6 |
| | T Graham | 5 | 1 | 3 | E Teltscher | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Alexander | 6 | 6 | | J Alexander | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | W Hampson | 2 | 2 | | | | | 3 | E Teltscher | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | B Manson | 6 | 6 | | | | | 5 | V Gerulaitis | 5 | 3 | | | | |
| | S Stewart | 3 | 4 | | B Manson | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | D Mustard | 2 | 3 | 5 | V Gerulaitis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 7 | K Warwick | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Delaney | 6 | 6 | | | J Delaney | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Fitzgerald | 6 | 6 | | | J Fitzgerald | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Kronk | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | J Fitzgerald | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | |
| | P Rennert | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | 4 | P McNamara | 2 | 6 | 3 | | | | |
| | Tim Gullikson | 6 | 3 | 6 | | Tim Gullikson | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Guan | 4 | 1 | | 4 | P McNamara | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | P McNamara | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | J Fitzgerald | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | V Pecci | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | R Tanner | 6 | 6 |
| | J Benson | 3 | 6 | 4 | 6 | V Pecci | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Ball | 6 | 6 | | | S Ball | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Case | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | 6 | V Pecci | 4 | 4 | | | | | |
| | C Miller | 2 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | 2 | R Tanner | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | F Taygan | 6 | 3 | 6 | | F Taygan | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Johnstone | 4 | 6 | | 2 | R Tanner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | R Tanner | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |