# 2003 China Open – Singles

Anna Smashnova was the defending champion, but chose not to participate this year.
Top seed Elena Dementieva won the title, defeating Chanda Rubin in the final, 6–3, 7–6$^{(8–6)}$.

## Seeds

The top four seeds received a bye into the second round.
* Elena Dementieva (champion)
* Chanda Rubin (final)
* Ai Sugiyama (semifinals)
* Conchita Martínez (second round)
* Jelena Dokic (second round, retired)
* Alicia Molik (quarterfinals)
* Émilie Loit (first round)
* Cara Black (first round)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* Alt = Alternate
* SE = Special exempt
* PR = Protected ranking
* ITF = ITF entry
* JE = Junior exempt
* w/o = Walkover
* r = Retired
* d = Defaulted
* SR = Special ranking

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Elena Dementieva | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| 3 | Ai Sugiyama | 1 | 6 | 3 | | | | |
| 3 | Ai Sugiyama | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | Elena Dementieva | 6 | 7$^8$ |
| | | | | | 2 | Chanda Rubin | 3 | 6$^6$ |
| | Akiko Morigami | 0 | 7 | 3 | 2 | Chanda Rubin | 3 | 6$^6$ |
| 2 | Chanda Rubin | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | |

### Top half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| | | | | | 1 | E Dementieva | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Widjaja | 7 | 2 | 2 | | P Mandula | 3 | 6$^1$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Mandula | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 1 | E Dementieva | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | |
| | N Pratt | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | M Sharapova | 4 | 6$^4$ | | | | | |
| | M Sánchez Lorenzo | 6 | 6 | | | M Sánchez Lorenzo | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Sharapova | 6 | 6$^3$ | 6 | | M Sharapova | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | É Loit | 3 | 7$^7$ | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | E Dementieva | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | A Sugiyama | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| | | | | | 3 | A Sugiyama | 7$^9$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | T Garbin | 5 | 3$^r$ | | WC | T Sun | 6$^7$ | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | T Sun | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | 3 | A Sugiyama | 6 | 7$^9$ | | | | | |
| | D Safina | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | D Safina | 4 | 6$^7$ | | | | | |
| | E Gagliardi | 3 | 5 | | | D Safina | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Janković | 6$^6$ | 4$^r$ | | 5 | J Dokic | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | J Dokic | 7$^8$ | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 6 | A Molik | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | F Pennetta | 3 | 2 | | 6 | A Molik | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | J Craybas | 3 | 7$^8$ | 2 | LL | J Craybas | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | J Zheng | 6 | 6$^6$ | 0$^r$ | | | | | 6 | A Molik | 6$^3$ | 5 | | | | | |
| | A Morigami | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | A Morigami | 7$^7$ | 7 | | | | | |
| Q | M Suchá | 2 | 3 | | | A Morigami | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | C Martínez | 5 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | A Morigami | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| | C Black | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | C Rubin | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| | A Harkleroad | 6 | 6 | | | A Harkleroad | 0 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Y-j Cho | 0 | 2 | | | A Barna | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Barna | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | A Barna | 1 | 4 | | | | | |
| | B Schett | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 2 | C Rubin | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| Q | R Neffa-de los Ríos | 3 | 1 | | | B Schett | 6$^1$ | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | C Rubin | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | |