1981 US Open – Women's doubles

Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova were the defending champions but only Navratilova competed that year with Pam Shriver.

Navratilova and Shriver lost in the semifinals to Rosemary Casals and Wendy Turnbull.

Kathy Jordan and Anne Smith won in the final 6–3, 6–3 against Casals and Turnbull.

Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.

• # 🇺🇸 Martina Navratilova / 🇺🇸 Pam Shriver (semifinals)

• # 🇺🇸 Kathy Jordan / 🇺🇸 Anne Smith (champions)

• # 🇺🇸 Rosemary Casals / 🇦🇺 Wendy Turnbull (final)

• # n/a

• # 🇺🇸 Barbara Potter / 🇺🇸 Sharon Walsh (first round)

• # 🇺🇸 JoAnne Russell / Virginia Ruzici (quarterfinals)

• # Rosalyn Fairbank /  Tanya Harford (quarterfinals)

• # 🇺🇸 Andrea Jaeger / 🇺🇸 Candy Reynolds (second round)

• # Bettina Bunge /  Claudia Kohde (quarterfinals)

• # Hana Mandlíková / 🇺🇸 Pam Teeguarden (semifinals)

• # 🇺🇸 Chris Evert-Lloyd / Betty Stöve (third round)

• # 🇺🇸 Peanut Louie / 🇺🇸 Marita Redondo (first round)

• # Ilana Kloss / 🇺🇸 Betsy Nagelsen (third round)

• # 🇺🇸 Mary-Lou Piatek / 🇺🇸 Wendy White (third round)

• # 🇨🇦 Marjorie Blackwood / 🇦🇺 Susan Leo (first round)

• # 🇺🇸 Leslie Allen / 🇬🇧 Virginia Wade (second round)