:1981 South Australian Open

{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}

{{TennisEventInfo|1981|South Australian Open|

| date=5–11 January

| edition=79th

| category=Grand Prix

| prize_money=$50,000

| surface=Grass

| draw=32S / 16D

| location=Adelaide, Australia

| venue=Memorial Drive

| champs={{flagicon|AUS}} Mark Edmondson{{cite web |title=1981 Adelaide – Men's singles |url=https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/archive/adelaide/7308/1981/draws?matchtype=singles |publisher=Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)}}

| champd={{flagicon|AUS}} Colin Dibley / {{flagicon|AUS}} John James{{cite web |title=1981 Adelaide – Men's doubles |url=https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/archive/adelaide/7308/1981/draws?matchtype=doubles |publisher=Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)}}

| before_year=1979

}}

The 1981 South Australian Open was a men's Association of Tennis Professionals tennis tournament held on outdoor grass courts at Memorial Drive in Adelaide, Australia that was part of the 1981 Volvo Grand Prix circuit. It was the 79th edition of the tournament and was held from 5 January until 11 January 1981. Fifth-seeded Mark Edmondson won the singles title.{{cite book|title=Slazengers World of Tennis 1982 : The Official Yearbook of the International Tennis Federation|year=1982|publisher=Queen Anne Press|location=London|isbn=9780356085968|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_0356085961/page/118 118]|edition=14th|editor=John Barrett|editor-link=John Barrett (tennis)|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_0356085961/page/118}}