1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's singles
# 1981 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's singles

The 1981 World Table Tennis Championships men's singles was the 36th edition of the men's singles championship.

Guo Yuehua defeated Cai Zhenhua in the final, winning three sets to one to secure the title.

## Results

| Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Park Lee hee | 21 | 11 | 21 | 20 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lu Yaohua | 23 | 21 | 19 | 22 | | Lu Yaohua | 20 | 19 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| István Jónyer | 12 | 15 | 15 | | | Cai Zhenhua | 22 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cai Zhenhua | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | Cai Zhenhua | 21 | 21 | 13 | 17 | 21 | | | | | |
| Stellan Bengtsson | 21 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 21 | | | | | | Bengtsson | 14 | 9 | 21 | 21 | 16 | | | | | |
| Huang Liang | 14 | 22 | 13 | 21 | 10 | Bengtsson | 24 | 10 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Desmond Douglas | 16 | 19 | 14 | | | Shi Zhihao | 22 | 21 | 18 | 18 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Shi Zhihao | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Cai Zhenhua | 14 | 21 | 14 | 16 |
| Wang Huiyuan | 18 | 11 | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | Guo Yuehua | 21 | 17 | 21 | 21 |
| Milan Orlowski | 21 | 21 | 14 | 17 | 11 | Wang Huiyuan | 19 | 17 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Dragutin Šurbek | 16 | 21 | 21 | 21 | | Šurbek | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Erik Lindh | 21 | 17 | 19 | 17 | | | | | | | Šurbek | 18 | 15 | 11 | | | | | | | |
| Tibor Klampár | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | Guo Yuehua | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | |
| Mikael Appelgren | 18 | 19 | 15 | | | Klampár | 21 | 15 | 13 | 18 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Guo Yuehua | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | Guo Yuehua | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Andrzej Grubba | 14 | 16 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
