| Details | |
|---|---|
| Duration | January 5, 1981 – January 17, 1982 |
| Edition | 12th |
| Tournaments | 89 |
| Categories | Grand Slam (4) Grand Prix (74) World Championship Tennis (9) Team Events (2) |
| Achievements (singles) | |
| Most tournament titles |  John McEnroe (10) |
| Most tournament finals |  Ivan Lendl (14) |
| Prize money leader | John McEnroe ($991,000) |
| Points leader | Ivan Lendl (1571) |
| Awards | |
| Player of the year | John McEnroe |
| Most improved player of the year |  Peter McNamara |
| Newcomer of the year | Tim Mayotte |
| Comeback player of the year | Jeff Borowiak |
← 1980 1982 → | |
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John McEnroe finished the year as ATP world No. 1 for the first time in his career. McEnroe won ten titles during the season, including two majors at the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open.
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Ivan Lendl was the 1981 Grand Prix No. 1. Lendl won eight tournaments during the season, including the Masters Grand Prix, and finished runner-up at a major at the French Open.
The 1981 Volvo Grand Prix was the only men's professional tennis circuit held that year. It consisted of the four Grand Slam tournaments and the Grand Prix tournaments. The World Championship Tennis (WCT) Tour was incorporated into the Grand Prix circuit. The WCT tour consisted of eight regular tournaments, a season's final, three tournaments categorized as special events and a doubles championship. In total 89 tournaments were held divided over 29 countries. The circuit was administered by the Men's International Professional Tennis Council (MIPTC).