1981 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles

Men's singles
1981 Wimbledon Championships
Champion John McEnroe
Runner-up Björn Borg
Score4–6, 7–6(7–1), 7–6(7–4), 6–4
Draw128 (16 Q / 8 WC )
Seeds16

John McEnroe defeated five-time defending champion Björn Borg in a rematch of the previous year's final, 4–6, 7–6(7–1), 7–6(7–4), 6–4 to win the gentlemen's singles tennis title at the 1981 Wimbledon Championships. It was his first Wimbledon singles title and third major singles title overall. Borg was attempting to equal William Renshaw's record of six consecutive Wimbledon titles and Roy Emerson's all-time record of 12 Grand Slam tournament singles titles.[1] It was Borg's last Wimbledon appearance.

During this tournament, McEnroe famously shouted "You cannot be serious!" to the chair umpire in response to a serve being called "out". The disagreement took place on 22 June, during his first-round match against Tom Gullikson.[2]

Seeds

1.   Björn Borg (final)
2.   John McEnroe (champion)
3.   Jimmy Connors (semifinals)
4.   Ivan Lendl (first round)
5.   Gene Mayer (withdrew before the tournament began)
6.   Brian Teacher (second round)
7.   Brian Gottfried (second round)
8.   Roscoe Tanner (second round)
9.   José Luis Clerc (third round)
10.   Guillermo Vilas (first round)
11.   Víctor Pecci (first round)
12.   Peter McNamara (quarterfinals)
13.   Yannick Noah (first round)
14.   Wojciech Fibak (fourth round)
15.   Balázs Taróczy (third round)
16.   Vitas Gerulaitis (fourth round)

Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.

Gene Mayer withdrew due to injury. He was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Mike Estep.

Qualifying

Draw

Key

Finals

Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
                     
1 Björn Borg 77 6 6
12 Peter McNamara 62 2 3
1 Björn Borg 0 4 6 6 6
3 Jimmy Connors 6 6 3 0 4
3 Jimmy Connors 2 5 6 6 6
Vijay Amritraj 6 7 4 3 2
1 Björn Borg 6 61 64 4
2 John McEnroe 4 77 77 6
Rod Frawley 4 77 77 6
Tim Mayotte 6 65 64 3
Rod Frawley 62 4 5
2 John McEnroe 77 6 7
Johan Kriek 1 5 1
2 John McEnroe 6 7 6

Top half

Section 1

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
1 B Borg 77 6 6
P Rennert 62 3 1 1 B Borg 6 6 6
Q D Collings 4 3 3 M Purcell 4 1 3
M Purcell 6 6 6 1 B Borg 6 7 6
F Taygan 7 6 6 R Gehring 4 5 0
N Saviano 5 1 2 F Taygan 5 1 6
LL U Marten 6 2 7 0 R Gehring 7 6 7
R Gehring 7 6 6 6 1 B Borg 77 7 78
V Amaya 6 7 6 7 16 V Gerulaitis 64 5 66
P Feigl 4 6 7 6 V Amaya 6 6 6
C Mottram 6 6 4 6 C Mottram 3 4 2
WC R Drysdale 1 4 6 3 V Amaya 6 4 6 3 5
Q J Bailey 7 6 3 6 4 16 V Gerulaitis 4 6 3 6 7
K Curren 6 4 6 7 6 K Curren 3 7 3 3
Q G Holroyd 3 4 6 16 V Gerulaitis 6 6 6 6
16 V Gerulaitis 6 6 7

Section 2

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
12 P McNamara 6 6 2 7
H Günthardt 1 2 6 5 12 P McNamara 6 6 6
J Delaney 5 3 7 3 S Stewart 4 0 1
S Stewart 7 6 6 6 12 P McNamara 6 6 7
Á Giménez 6 7 6 A Pattison 1 0 5
Q J Windahl 3 5 2 Á Giménez 6 6 7 1 4
S Giammalva 3 7 3 6 A Pattison 4 7 6 6 6
A Pattison 6 6 6 7 12 P McNamara 7 6 7
Tim Gullikson 6 6 6 J Borowiak 6 0 6
G Rinaldini 1 2 3 Tim Gullikson 3 7 7 6
P Fleming 7 6 2 7 P Fleming 6 6 6 3
S Docherty 6 2 6 6 Tim Gullikson 3 6 6 3
Q E van Dillen 2 4 6 2 J Borowiak 6 7 4 6
J Borowiak 6 6 4 6 J Borowiak 6 7 6
K Walts 3 3 2 7 B Gottfried 4 6 4
7 B Gottfried 6 6 6

Section 3

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
3 J Connors 6 6 6
R Stockton 1 2 4 3 J Connors 7 7 6
C Lewis 6 7 0 6 6 C Lewis 6 6 3
Q C Dunk 7 6 6 4 4 3 J Connors 6 6 6
T Šmid 5 3 6 2 A Giammalva 4 4 0
P DuPré 7 6 3 6 P DuPré 3 4 6 3
A Giammalva 6 7 6 A Giammalva 6 6 1 6
LL S Davis 2 6 2 3 J Connors 6 6 6
Q C Wittus 6 6 6 14 W Fibak 3 2 4
E Edwards 4 4 4 Q C Wittus 3 0 4
B Drewett 7 4 6 6 B Drewett 6 6 6
M Hocevar 6 6 4 3 B Drewett 6 1 6 6 4
Q M Davis 7 5 2 7 6 14 W Fibak 7 6 3 3 6
S Glickstein 5 7 6 5 4 Q M Davis 4 4 2
M Doyle 4 7 4 5 14 W Fibak 6 6 6
14 W Fibak 6 6 6 7

Section 4

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
9 JL Clerc 3 6 2 6 9
LL Á Fillol 6 3 6 4 7 9 JL Clerc 4 6 7 6
WC J Lloyd 6 3 4 6 6 WC J Lloyd 6 3 6 4
P Dent 4 6 6 3 4 9 JL Clerc 6 4 1 6
P Portes 7 6 2 6 P Kronk 2 6 6 7
Q W Pascoe 5 7 6 7 Q W Pascoe 5 3 4
P Kronk 6 6 3 6 P Kronk 7 6 6
W Martin 2 3 6 3 P Kronk 3 3 2
R Van't Hof 6 6 6 V Amritraj 6 6 6
K Eberhard 4 4 4 R Van't Hof 3 4 2
T Okker 5 7 4 6 T Wilkison 6 6 6
T Wilkison 7 5 6 7 T Wilkison 3 2 6 4
V Amritraj 6 6 7 V Amritraj 6 6 3 6
WC J Kodeš 0 1 5 V Amritraj 6 2 2 6 6
R Stadler 6 0 3 3 6 B Teacher 4 6 6 2 1
6 B Teacher 4 6 6 6

Bottom half

Section 5

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
8 R Tanner 6 6 6
B Manson 1 4 4 8 R Tanner 4 4 6 2
C Kirmayr 6 6 6 6 C Kirmayr 6 6 3 6
WC M Cox 3 7 4 4 C Kirmayr 6 3 3
L Stefanki 1 6 3 R Frawley 7 6 6
Q C Letcher 6 7 6 Q C Letcher 3 1 3
R Frawley 4 6 6 6 R Frawley 6 6 6
T Tulasne 6 2 3 0 R Frawley 6 6 7
J Austin 7 2 2 2 J Fitzgerald 4 3 6
Q M Wilander 6 6 6 6 Q M Wilander 4 6 6 6
WC J Alexander 4 6 4 2 LL H Leconte 6 4 2 2
LL H Leconte 6 2 6 6 Q M Wilander 0 6 2 2
J Fitzgerald 5 7 6 6 J Fitzgerald 6 4 6 6
Q S McCain 7 6 2 3 J Fitzgerald 6 6 6
W Scanlon 7 6 6 W Scanlon 1 2 2
11 V Pecci 6 0 0

Section 6

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
10 G Vilas 4 1 6 6 3
M Edmondson 6 6 1 4 6 M Edmondson 4 3 7 5
WC R Lewis 5 6 4 4 F Buehning 6 6 5 7
F Buehning 7 4 6 6 F Buehning 4 6 6 7 1
S Krulevitz 6 6 4 4 3 A Mayer 6 2 7 5 6
H Simonsson 4 2 6 6 6 H Simonsson 2 1 6
I Năstase 4 6 6 4 4 A Mayer 6 6 7
A Mayer 6 4 4 6 6 A Mayer 3 4 6
WC A Jarrett 3 7 3 6 T Mayotte 6 6 7
J Sadri 6 6 6 7 J Sadri 7 6 6 6
C Roger-Vasselin 6 6 7 C Roger-Vasselin 6 7 3 4
J López-Maeso 4 4 6 J Sadri 6 3 5
T Mayotte 6 6 6 T Mayotte 7 6 7
B Mitton 3 4 2 T Mayotte 4 6 7 6
Q C Fancutt 4 6 6 1 6 Q C Fancutt 6 4 6 3
4 I Lendl 6 3 4 6 3

Section 7

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
LL M Estep 0 3 7 3
J Kriek 6 6 6 6 J Kriek 6 6 6
Q S Menon 4 0 6 4 LL J Nyström 2 4 4
LL J Nyström 6 6 3 6 J Kriek 7 3 6 7
R Simpson 7 6 7 R Simpson 6 6 2 5
LL S Denton 6 3 6 R Simpson 6 6 3 6
Q G Moretton 4 6 6 6 Q G Moretton 4 4 6 3
J Fillol 6 3 2 3 J Kriek 3 6 7 6
P Složil 3 4 2 F González 6 3 6 1
P McNamee 6 6 6 P McNamee 6 6 6
LL C Johnstone 6 6 4 4 6 LL C Johnstone 2 1 2
Q C Miller 4 1 6 6 3 P McNamee 4 2 2
F González 6 7 6 F González 6 6 6
C Freyss 0 5 2 F González 6 6 7 6
E Fromm 6 6 6 E Fromm 3 7 5 3
13 Y Noah 4 4 3

Section 8

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
15 B Taróczy 7 6 6
A Järryd 6 4 3 15 B Taróczy 7 6 7
R Hightower 2 2 4 R Meyer 6 3 6
R Meyer 6 6 6 15 B Taróczy 3 2 3
H Ismail 3 1 3 S Smith 6 6 6
S Smith 6 6 6 S Smith 6 7 7
R Fagel 1 2 1 R Case 3 6 6
R Case 6 6 6 S Smith 5 6 1 2
D Carter 3 7 6 1 3 2 J McEnroe 7 3 6 6
R Lutz 6 6 4 6 6 R Lutz 6 7 6
F Maynetto 6 2 1 WC J Feaver 3 5 1
WC J Feaver 7 6 6 R Lutz 4 2 0
R Moore 4 5 2 2 J McEnroe 6 6 6
R Ramírez 6 7 6 R Ramírez 3 78 3 66
To Gullikson 65 5 3 2 J McEnroe 6 66 6 78
2 J McEnroe 77 7 6

References

  1. ^ Barrett, John (2014). Wimbledon: The Official History (4th ed.). Vision Sports Publishing. ISBN 9-781909-534230.
  2. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "John McEnroe's epic Wimbledon meltdown: 'You cannot be serious!' | ESPN Archives". YouTube.