| Singles | |
|---|---|
| 1981 Bavarian Tennis Championships | |
| Champion |  |
| Runner-up |  |
| Final score | 4–6, 6–2, 2–6, 6–1, 6–1 |
| Draw | 32 |
| Seeds | 8 |
Rolf Gehring was the defending champion, but lost in the semifinals this year.
Chris Lewis won the title, defeating Christophe Roger-Vasselin 4–6, 6–2, 2–6, 6–1, 6–1 in the final.
| Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||||
| 8 | | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | | 4 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
| 7 | | 6 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| 7 | | 6 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | | 4 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| First Round | Second Round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | | 1 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | | 5 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| | 6 | 2 | 3 |  | 7 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| | 4 | 6 | 6 | | 6 | 6 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
 | 6 | 6 | 8 | | 3 | 7 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| | 2 | 3 | | 4 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | 1 | 5 | 8 | | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | | 6 | 7 | 8 | | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | | 6 | 6 | 4 | | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| | 3 | 2 | 4 | | 6 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| | 6 | 5 | 6 | | 4 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| | 4 | 7 | 1 | 4 | | 3 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||
| | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | | 6 | 5 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| | 6 | 4 | 6 | | 3 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| | 3 | 0 | 6 | | 6 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First Round | Second Round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | 2 | 2 | 7 | | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| | 6 | 7 | | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| | 2 | 6 | 7 | | 7 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| | 6 | 1 | 3 | | 6 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| | 7 | 6 | | 4 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| | 4 | 6 | 3 | | 6 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | | 6 | 7 | 7 | | 6 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | | 6 | 6 | 2 | | 4 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| | 1 | 2 | 5 | | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| | 6 | 7 | | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| | 0 | 6 | 5 | | 4 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| | 2 | 1 | 2 | | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
 | 6 | 6 | | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| | 2 | 4 | 2 | | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manuel Orantes was the defending champion, but did not participate this year.
Stan Smith was the defending champion but lost in the second round to Raymond Moore.
Thierry Ascione was the defending champion, but lost in the final 2–6, 4–6, to Arnaud Clément.
Christophe Rochus was the defending champion.
Josselin Ouanna won the singles competition, after she won 7–5, 1–6, 6–4, against Adrian Mannarino.
Tobias Kamke was the defending champion but decided not to participate.
Jimmy Arias was the defending champion, but did not participate this year.
Nicolas Mahut and Édouard Roger-Vasselin were the defending champions, but chose not to participate together. Roger-Vasselin teamed up with Rohan Bopanna, but lost in the semifinals to Johan Brunström and Raven Klaasen.
Mahut played alongside Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but lost in the final to Brunström and Klaasen, 4–6, 6–7(5–7).
Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna were the defending champions, but Bhupathi decided not to participate. Bopanna played alongside Édouard Roger-Vasselin.
Julien Benneteau and Nenad Zimonjić were the defending champions, but decided not to participate together. Benneteau played alongside Édouard Roger-Vasselin, but lost to Bob and Mike Bryan in the quarterfinals. Zimonjić teamed up with Daniel Nestor, but lost to the Bryan brothers in the semifinals. The Bryans became the new champions, defeating Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo 6–3, 3–6, [10–8] in the final.
Nicolas Mahut and Édouard Roger-Vasselin were the defending champions, but Roger-Vasselin chose not to participate. Mahut played alongside Sergiy Stakhovsky, but lost in the semifinals to Jonathan Erlich and Rajeev Ram.
Chris Guccione and Lleyton Hewitt won the title, defeating Erlich and Ram in the final, 7–5, 6–4.
Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo were the defending champions, but lost in the quarterfinals to Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea.
Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan won the title, defeating Julien Benneteau and Édouard Roger-Vasselin in the final, 6–3, 7–6(7–3).
Julien Benneteau and Édouard Roger-Vasselin were the defending champions, but Benneteau withdrew from the tournament because of a sports hernia. Roger-Vasselin played alongside Guillermo García-López, but lost in the third round to Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo.
Bob and Mike Bryan were the two-time defending champions but lost in the quarterfinals to Daniel Nestor and Édouard Roger-Vasselin.
Nestor and Roger-Vasselin went on to win the title, defeating Marcin Matkowski and Nenad Zimonjić in the final, 6–2, 6–2.
David Goffin was the defending champion but chose not to participate this year.
Jaime Fillol and Patricio Cornejo, the defending champions, returned with new partners. The pairs met in the quarterfinals with Cornejo and Pat DuPré claiming victory but Gene Mayer and Hank Pfister ended their run in the semifinal. Top-seeded Mayer and Pfister went on to win the title, beating Jeff Borowiak and Chris Lewis in the final.
Daniel Nestor and Édouard Roger-Vasselin were the defending champions, but chose not to compete together. Nestor played alongside Vasek Pospisil, but lost in the semifinals to Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo. Roger-Vasselin teamed up with Julien Benneteau, but lost in the first round to Milos Raonic and Nenad Zimonjić.
Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecău were the defending champions, but lost in the first round to Nick Kyrgios and Jack Sock.
Daniel Nestor and Édouard Roger-Vasselin were the defending champions but chose not to participate together. Nestor played alongside Dominic Inglot, but lost in the first round to Santiago González and Julio Peralta. Roger-Vasselin teamed up with Fabrice Martin, but lost in the quarterfinals to Wesley Koolhof and Artem Sitak.
Scott Lipsky and Divij Sharan were the defending champions, but Lipsky chose not to participate. Sharan played alongside Artem Sitak, but lost in the semifinals to Nicolas Mahut and Édouard Roger-Vasselin.
Ivan Dodig and Édouard Roger-Vasselin were the defending champions, but Dodig chose not to participate this year. Roger-Vasselin played alongside Jürgen Melzer but lost in the quarterfinals to Tomislav Brkić and Ante Pavić.