# 1981 Stella Artois Championships – Singles

John McEnroe was the defending champion and was seeded no.1. He won the singles title at the 1981 Queen's Club Championships tennis tournament defeating compatriot Brian Gottfried in the final 7–6, 7–5.

## Seeds

* John McEnroe (champion)
* Roscoe Tanner (third round)
* Brian Gottfried (final)
* Brian Teacher (semifinals)
* John Sadri (semifinals)
* Vijay Amritraj (first round)
* Fritz Buehning (first round)
* Paul McNamee (first round)
* Bill Scanlon (third round)
* Victor Amaya (third round)
* Kevin Curren (quarterfinals)
* Raúl Ramírez (first round)
* Phil Dent (third round)
* Pat Du Pré (first round)
* Chris Lewis (first round)
* John Austin (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

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | John McEnroe | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 4 | Brian Teacher | 3 | 4 | | | | |
| 4 | Brian Teacher | 3 | 4 | 1 | John McEnroe | 7 | 7 |
| | | | | 3 | Brian Gottfried | 6 | 5 |
| 3 | Brian Gottfried | 7 | 6 | 3 | Brian Gottfried | 6 | 5 |
| 5 | John Sadri | 5 | 3 | | | | |

### 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 | J McEnroe | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Feaver | 1 | 2 | | 1 | J McEnroe | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Drysdale | 1 | 5 | | | M Edmondson | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Edmondson | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | 1 | J McEnroe | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | B Mitton | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 9 | B Scanlon | 3 | 2 | | | | |
| | P Fleming | 7 | 7 | | | P Fleming | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Case | 4 | 6 | 3 | 9 | B Scanlon | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | B Scanlon | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | J McEnroe | 6 | 7 |
| 14 | P Du Pré | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | H Pfister | 2 | 5 |
| | H Pfister | 7 | 7 | | | H Pfister | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | D Stockton | 6 | 7 | | | D Stockton | 2 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | B Drewett | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | H Pfister | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | B Martin | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | B Martin | 5 | 4 | | | | |
| | P Serret | 3 | 6 | | | B Martin | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Gullikson | 6 | 5 | 6 | | T Gullikson | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | V Amritraj | 3 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| 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 |
| 4 | B Teacher | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Carter | 4 | 6 | | 4 | B Teacher | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Roger-Vasselin | 2 | 6 | | | J Lloyd | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Lloyd | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | 4 | B Teacher | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | P Kronk | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 16 | J Austin | 4 | 1 | | | | |
| | S Denton | 6 | 6 | 4 | | P Kronk | 6 | 2 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | T Wilkison | 7 | 6 | 4 | 16 | J Austin | 2 | 6 | 9 | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | J Austin | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | B Teacher | 6 | 6 |
| 12 | R Ramírez | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | P Rennert | 1 | 4 |
| | S McCain | 6 | 6 | | | S McCain | 5 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Smith | 6 | 6 | | | J Smith | 7 | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | G Moretton | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | S McCain | 3 | 4 | | | | |
| | R Van't Hof | 6 | 6 | 9 | | | | | | | P Rennert | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | D Collings | 3 | 7 | 11 | | D Collings | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Rennert | 2 | 6 | 6 | | P Rennert | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | F Buehning | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### Section 3

| 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 |
| 8 | P McNamee | 7 | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Edwards | 5 | 7 | 6 | | E Edwards | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Hightower | 7 | 6 | | | R Hightower | 7 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Fillol | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | E Edwards | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | R Moore | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 13 | P Dent | 5 | 3 | | | | | |
| | R Meyer | 7 | 7 | | | R Meyer | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Borowiak | 2 | 4 | | 13 | P Dent | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | P Dent | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | E Edwards | 3 | 3 |
| 15 | C Lewis | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | B Gottfried | 6 | 6 |
| | J Fitzgerald | 4 | 6 | 8 | | J Fitzgerald | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Tulasne | 4 | 3 | | | F González | 6 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | F González | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | J Fitzgerald | 7 | 3 | 5 | | | | |
| | N Saviano | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | 3 | B Gottfried | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | L Stefanki | 4 | 6 | 4 | | N Saviano | 6 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Alexander | 4 | 6 | | 3 | B Gottfried | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | B Gottfried | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| 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 |
| 5 | J Sadri | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Estep | 4 | 3 | 5 | J Sadri | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Ball | 7 | 6 | | S Ball | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Cox | 6 | 2 | | | | | | 5 | J Sadri | 3 | 7 | 3 | | | | |
| | M Davis | 4 | 3 | | | | | | 10 | V Amaya | 6 | 6 | 1$^r$ | | | | |
| | R Frawley | 6 | 6 | | R Frawley | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Lewis | 5 | 1 | 10 | V Amaya | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | V Amaya | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | J Sadri | 7 | 6 |
| 11 | K Curren | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | K Curren | 6 | 1 |
| | C Mayotte | 4 | 3 | 11 | K Curren | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Johnstone | 2 | 6 | | R Simpson | 7 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Simpson | 6 | 7 | | | | | | 11 | K Curren | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | R Krishnan | 1 | 2 | | | | | | 2 | R Tanner | 7 | 6 | 4 | | | | |
| | G Whitecross | 6 | 6 | | G Whitecross | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | O Parun | 3 | 2 | 2 | R Tanner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | R Tanner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |