# 1981 Avon Championships of Detroit – Singles

Billie Jean King was the defending champion.
Unseeded Leslie Allen won the title, defeating top-seeded Hana Mandlíková in the final 6–4, 6–4.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Hana Mandlíková (final)
* Wendy Turnbull (quarterfinals)
* Pam Shriver (semifinals)
* Virginia Ruzici (quarterfinals)
* Regina Maršíková (first round)
* Mima Jaušovec (quarterfinals)
* Sue Barker (second round)
* JoAnne Russell (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 | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Hana Mandlíková | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 3 | Pam Shriver | 0 | 2 | | | | | |
| 3 | Pam Shriver | 0 | 2 | | 1 | Hana Mandlíková | 4 | 4 |
| | | | | | | Leslie Allen | 6 | 6 |
| | Leslie Allen | 2 | 7 | 6 | | Leslie Allen | 6 | 6 |
| | Barbara Potter | 6 | 6 | 4 | | | | |

### Top half

| 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 |
| 1 | Hana Mandlíková | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Iva Budařová | 1 | 1 | | 1 | Hana Mandlíková | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Nina Bohm | 6 | 4 | | | Lisa Bonder | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Lisa Bonder | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | Hana Mandlíková | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| | Julie Harrington | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | C Kohde | 3 | 6 | 2 | | | | |
| | Caroline Stoll | 2 | 6 | 3 | | Julie Harrington | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Claudia Kohde | 6 | 6 | | | Claudia Kohde | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Regina Maršíková | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Hana Mandlíková | 6 | 6 |
| 3 | Pam Shriver | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Pam Shriver | 0 | 2 |
| | Sherry Acker | 1 | 3 | | 3 | Pam Shriver | 1 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Anne Smith | 6 | 6 | | | Anne Smith | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Yvonne Vermaak | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | 3 | Pam Shriver | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Bettina Bunge | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | Bettina Bunge | 4 | 2 | | | | | |
| | Betsy Nagelsen | 0 | 2 | | | Bettina Bunge | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Lea Antonoplis | 2 | 6 | 4 | 7 | Sue Barker | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Sue Barker | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 6 | Mima Jaušovec | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Isabelle Villiger | 1 | 1 | | 6 | Mima Jaušovec | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Marita Redondo | 6 | 1 | | | Paula Smith | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Paula Smith | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 6 | Mima Jaušovec | 3 | 2 | | | | | |
| | Rosalyn Fairbank | 6 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | Leslie Allen | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Leslie Allen | 7 | 3 | 6 | | Leslie Allen | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Beth Norton | 4 | 6 | | 4 | Virginia Ruzici | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Virginia Ruzici | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | Leslie Allen | 2 | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | JoAnne Russell | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | Barbara Potter | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| | Susan Mascarin | 6 | 6 | | | Susan Mascarin | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Barbara Potter | 6 | 6 | | | Barbara Potter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kathy Horvath | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | Barbara Potter | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Lucia Romanov | 1 | 0 | | | | | | 2 | Wendy Turnbull | 3 | 7 | 3 | | | | |
| | Mary-Lou Piatek | 6 | 6 | | | Mary-Lou Piatek | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Betty Stöve | 2 | 3 | | 2 | Wendy Turnbull | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Wendy Turnbull | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |