# 1988 Virginia Slims of Newport – Singles

Pam Shriver was the defending champion but lost in the semifinals to Barbara Potter.
Second-seeded Lori McNeil won in the final 6–4, 4–6, 6–3 against Potter.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Pam Shriver (semifinals)
* Lori McNeil (champion)
* Barbara Potter (final)
* Rosalyn Fairbank (semifinals)
* Robin White (quarterfinals)
* Gigi Fernández (second round)
* Gretchen Magers (second round)
* Wendy Turnbull (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
| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | P Shriver | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Phelps | 5 | 1 | | 1 | P Shriver | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Mochizuki | 5 | 2 | | Q | K Steinmetz | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | K Steinmetz | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | P Shriver | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Christian | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | W White | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Santrock | 7 | 3 | 2 | | C Christian | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | W White | 6 | 6 | | | W White | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | W Turnbull | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | P Shriver | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| 3 | B Potter | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | B Potter | 7 | 7 | | | | | | |
| | B Nagelsen | 6 | 5 | | 3 | B Potter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Scott | 6 | 7 | | Q | A Scott | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Ingram | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | 3 | B Potter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D-A Hansel | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 5 | R White | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Casale | 6 | 4 | 4 | | D-A Hansel | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Vásquez | 3 | 3 | | 5 | R White | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | R White | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Barbara Potter | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| 7 | G Magers | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Lori McNeil | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| | K Adams | 3 | 2 | | 7 | G Magers | 4 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Antonoplis | 7 | 6 | | | L Antonoplis | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Smoller | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | L Antonoplis | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Bakkum | 0 | 6 | | | | | | | 4 | R Fairbank | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Richardson | 6 | 7 | | | J Richardson | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Smith | 4 | 2 | | 4 | R Fairbank | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | R Fairbank | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | R Fairbank | 6 | 5 | 3 | | | | | |
| 6 | G Fernández | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | L McNeil | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | A M Fernandez | 2 | 3 | | 6 | G Fernández | 7 | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Henricksson | 6 | 6 | | | A Henricksson | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C MacGregor | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | A Henricksson | 6 | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Albano | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | 2 | L McNeil | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Frazier | 6 | 6 | | | A Frazier | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Jaggard | 3 | 4 | | 2 | L McNeil | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | L McNeil | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |