# 1990 Virginia Slims of Indian Wells – Singles

Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere was the defending champion but did not compete that year.
Martina Navratilova won in the final 6–2, 5–7, 6–1 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.
* Martina Navratilova (champion)
* Conchita Martínez (third round)
* Helena Suková (final)
* Jana Novotná (third round)
* Katerina Maleeva (semifinals)
* Hana Mandlíková (third round)
* Larisa Neiland (second round)
* Rosalyn Fairbank-Nideffer (quarterfinals)
* Gigi Fernández (third round)
* Gretchen Magers (third round)
* Amy Frazier (semifinals)
* Judith Wiesner (third round)
* Catarina Lindqvist (second round)
* Claudia Porwik (third round)
* n/a
* Patty Fendick (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 | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Martina Navratilova | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| 5 | Katerina Maleeva | 6 | 1 | | | | | |
| 5 | Katerina Maleeva | 6 | 1 | 1 | Martina Navratilova | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| | | | | 3 | Helena Suková | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 3 | Helena Suková | 7 | 6 | 3 | Helena Suková | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 11 | Amy Frazier | 5 | 4 | | | | | |

### 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 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Provis | 1 | 6 | 6 | | N Provis | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Pfaff | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | T Phelps | 6 | 7 | | | | | | 12 | J Wiesner | 3 | 2 | | | | | |
| | A Minter | 4 | 6 | | | T Phelps | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | L Bonder-Kreiss | 6 | 0 | | 12 | J Wiesner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | J Wiesner | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 |
| 13 | C Lindqvist | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | Q | N Herreman | 2 | 1 |
| | C Benjamin | 5 | 3 | | 13 | C Lindqvist | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | L Poruri | 4 | 0 | | Q | N Herreman | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | N Herreman | 6 | 6 | | | | | | Q | N Herreman | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | E Inoue | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | E Inoue | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | |
| | N Iaccarino | 7 | 4 | 1 | | E Inoue | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 7 | L Neiland | 4 | 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 4 | J Novotná | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Y Koizumi | 6 | 4 | 6 | Q | Y Koizumi | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Na | 4 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | 4 | J Novotná | 6 | 5 | 3 | | | | |
| | B Cordwell | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | M McGrath | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | M McGrath | 6 | 6 | | | M McGrath | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Coetzer | 6 | 6 | | | A Coetzer | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | P Fendick | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | M McGrath | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | G Fernández | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | K Maleeva | 6 | 6 |
| | J Pospíšilová | 1 | 3 | | 9 | G Fernández | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Louie-Harper | 6 | 5 | 1 | Q | E Rossides | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | E Rossides | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 9 | G Fernández | 3 | 2 | | | | | |
| | K Rinaldi | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 5 | K Maleeva | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | S Collins | 3 | 0 | | | K Rinaldi | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | K Maleeva | 6 | 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 6 | H Mandlíková | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Schimper | 2 | 3 | | LL | K Gompert | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | K Gompert | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 6 | H Mandlíková | 5 | 6 | 3 | | | | |
| | L Golarsa | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | I Demongeot | 7 | 0 | 6 | | | | |
| | A Keller | 7 | 6 | | | A Keller | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Jordan | 3 | 6 | 0 | | I Demongeot | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | I Demongeot | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | I Demongeot | 4 | 3 |
| 10 | G Magers | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | H Suková | 6 | 6 |
| | P Vásquez | 3 | 6 | | 10 | G Magers | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Gavaldón | 6 | 6 | | | A Gavaldón | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Stafford | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | 10 | G Magers | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | A Leand | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | 3 | H Suková | 6 | 5 | 7 | | | | |
| | M Javer | 6 | 6 | | | M Javer | 6 | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 3 | H Suková | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 8 | R Fairbank-Nideffer | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | L Tanner | 6 | 1 | | | N Miyagi | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Miyagi | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 8 | R Fairbank-Nideffer | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | R White | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 14 | C Porwik | 7 | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| | A Kijimuta | 2 | 1 | | | R White | 7 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | K Shin | 1 | 6 | 6 | 14 | C Porwik | 5 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | C Porwik | 6 | 3 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | R Fairbank-Nideffer | 2 | 3 |
| 11 | A Frazier | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | A Frazier | 6 | 6 |
| | E Reinach | 6 | 3 | | 11 | A Frazier | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Quentrec | 3 | 7 | 7 | | K Quentrec | 6 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Henricksson | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | 11 | A Frazier | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | C MacGregor | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 2 | C Martínez | 6 | 4 | 2 | | | | |
| | R Reis | 5 | 1 | | | C MacGregor | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | C Martínez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |