# 1988 WTA German Open – Singles

Steffi Graf was the defending champion and won in the final 6–3, 6–2 against Helena Suková.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top eight seeds received a bye to the second round.
* Steffi Graf (champion)
* Helena Suková (final)
* Claudia Kohde-Kilsch (semifinals)
* Hana Mandlíková (third round)
* Raffaella Reggi (second round)
* Sandra Cecchini (quarterfinals)
* Sylvia Hanika (semifinals)
* Mary Joe Fernández (quarterfinals)
* Arantxa Sánchez (second round)
* Nathalie Tauziat (second round)
* Isabel Cueto (third round)
* Patricia Tarabini (third round)
* Jana Novotná (first round)
* Kathleen Horvath (second round)
* n/a
* n/a

## 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 | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Steffi Graf | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 3 | Claudia Kohde-Kilsch | 1 | 0 | | | | |
| 3 | Claudia Kohde-Kilsch | 1 | 0 | 1 | Steffi Graf | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | 2 | Helena Suková | 3 | 2 |
| 7 | Sylvia Hanika | 2 | 3 | 2 | Helena Suková | 3 | 2 |
| 2 | Helena Suková | 6 | 6 | | | | |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 1 | S Graf | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Halard | 7 | 6 | | | J Halard | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Durie | 6 | 1 | | | | | | 1 | S Graf | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | S Meier | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | S Meier | 2 | 1 | | | | | |
| | J Byrne | 2 | 3 | | | S Meier | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | C Dahlman | 4 | 6 | 1 | 10 | N Tauziat | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | N Tauziat | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | S Graf | 6 | 6 |
| | D Van Rensburg | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | N Provis | 0 | 2 |
| | L Ferrando | 5 | 2 | | | D Van Rensburg | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | L Field | 6 | 2 | | | N Provis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Provis | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | N Provis | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| | M Bollegraf | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | I Demongeot | 2 | 6 | 2 | | | | |
| | I Demongeot | 7 | 6 | | | I Demongeot | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | R Reggi | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 3 | C Kohde-Kilsch | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | H Thoms | 7 | 6 | | Q | H Thoms | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | F Bonsignori | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | 3 | C Kohde-Kilsch | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | A Vieira | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | M Paz | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| | M Paz | 6 | 6 | | | M Paz | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | L Lapi | 7 | 6 | 6 | Q | L Lapi | 0 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | J Novotná | 6 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | C Kohde-Kilsch | 7 | 6 |
| 12 | P Tarabini | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | S Cecchini | 5 | 1 |
| | G Miró | 2 | 2 | | 12 | P Tarabini | 6 | 5 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | I Budařová | 7 | 6 | 3 | Q | C Wood | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | C Wood | 6 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 12 | P Tarabini | 1 | 1 | | | | |
| Q | S Menning | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | 6 | S Cecchini | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | T Scheuer-Larsen | 6 | 6 | | Q | T Scheuer-Larsen | 6 | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | S Cecchini | 2 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### Section 3

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 7 | S Hanika | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Düll | 4 | 4 | | | H Sprung | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Sprung | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 7 | S Hanika | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | P Paradis | 6 | 3 | 1 | | | | | | 11 | I Cueto | 2 | 4 | | | | | |
| LL | C Cohen | 4 | 6 | 6 | LL | C Cohen | 6 | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Garrone | 1 | 4 | | 11 | I Cueto | 0 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | I Cueto | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | S Hanika | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| 9 | A Sánchez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | R Zrubáková | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| | E Pfaff | 1 | 4 | | 9 | A Sánchez | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Zrubáková | 7 | 6 | | | R Zrubáková | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Witvoet | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | R Zrubáková | 7 | 7 | | | | | |
| | V Martinek | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 4 | H Mandlíková | 6 | 5 | | | | | |
| | S Auer | 3 | 4 | | | V Martinek | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | H Mandlíková | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 8 | M J Fernández | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | P Huber | 6 | 4 | 2 | | S Frankl | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Frankl | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | 8 | M J Fernández | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | B Bowes | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | B Bowes | 3 | 4 | | | | |
| | C Porwik | 6 | 4 | | | B Bowes | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | A Villagrán | 4 | 7 | 3 | 14 | K Horvath | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | K Horvath | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | 8 | M J Fernández | 6 | 0 |
| | W Probst | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | H Suková | 7 | 6 |
| | M Torres | 6 | 6 | | | M Torres | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Goleš | 7 | 7 | | | S Goleš | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | B Schultz | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | S Goleš | 4 | 3 | | | | |
| | B Paulus | 1 | 2 | | | | | | 2 | H Suková | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | B Fulco | 6 | 6 | | | B Fulco | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | H Suková | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |