1981 WTA Tour
The 1981 Avon Championships World Championship Series was the 10th season since the foundation of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 4, 1981, and concluded on December 19, 1981, after 36 events. The Avon Championships World Championship Series was the elite tour for professional women's tennis organised by the Women's Tennis Association. The year is divided into two sponsors with the first three months sponsored by Avon Series and the latter part by Toyota Series. It included the four Grand Slam tournaments and a series of other events. ITF tournaments were not part of the tour, although they awarded points for the WTA World Ranking.
Schedule
The table below shows the 1981 Avon Championships World Championship Series schedule.;Key
| Grand Slam tournaments |
| WTA championships |
| Avon Championships Circuit |
| Toyota Series |
| Non-Tour Events |
| Team events |
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Toyota Series
Points system
The 31 Toyota Series tournaments were divided into eight point categories. The highest points were allocated to the Grand Slam tournaments; French Open, the Wimbledon Championships, the US Open and the Australian Open. Points were allocated based on these categories and the finishing position of a player in a tournament. The points allocation, with doubles points listed in brackets, is as follows:| Category | Grand Slam $300,000+ | 7 $200,000+ | 6 $175,000+ | 5 $150,000+ | 4 $125,000+ | 3 $100,000+ | 2 $75,000+ | 1 $50,000+ |
| Winner | 250 | 200 | 175 | 150 | 125 | 100 | 75 | 50 |
| Runner-up | 200 | 160 | 140 | 120 | 95 | 70 | 50 | 30 |
| Semifinalist | 160 | 130 | 110 | 90 | 70 | 50 | 35 | 20 |
| Quarterfinalist | 120 | 100 | 80 | 60 | 40 | 25 | 20 | 10 |
| Fourth round | 80 | 65 | 50 | 35 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| Third round | 40 | 30 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 5 | 3 | – |
| Second round | 15 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 5 | – | – | – |