# 1996 Family Circle Cup – Singles

Arantxa Sánchez Vicario defeated Barbara Paulus in the final, 6–2, 2–6, 6–2 to win the singles tennis title at the 1996 Family Circle Cup.
Conchita Martínez was the two-time defending champion, but lost in the semifinals to Paulus.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top four seeds received a bye to the second round.
* Conchita Martínez (semifinals)
* Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (champion)
* Iva Majoli (quarterfinals)
* Gabriela Sabatini (second round)
* Magdalena Maleeva (second round)
* Jana Novotná (semifinals)
* Mary Joe Fernández (second round)
* Mary Pierce (second 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

### Final

| Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| | Barbara Paulus | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| 2 | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 2 | 6 |

### Section 1

| 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 |
| | | | | | 1 | C Martínez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Z Garrison-Jackson | 4 | 0 | | Q | S Farina | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | S Farina | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | C Martínez | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | P Schwarz | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | P Begerow | 2 | 0 | | | | |
| | P Begerow | 6 | 6 | | | P Begerow | 1 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | G Fernández | 7 | 3 | 1 | 8 | M Pierce | 6 | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | M Pierce | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | C Martínez | 6 | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | B Paulus | 7 | 6 |
| | | | | | 4 | G Sabatini | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | R Dragomir | 6 | 4 | 1 | | I Spîrlea | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | I Spîrlea | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | I Spîrlea | 2 | 4 | | | | |
| | B Paulus | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | B Paulus | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | N Tauziat | 3 | 6 | 1 | | B Paulus | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | L Raymond | 2 | 6 | | 5 | M Maleeva | 6 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | M Maleeva | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 2

| 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 |
| 6 | J Novotná | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Å Carlsson | 1 | 7 | 3 | 6 | J Novotná | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Fusai | 6 | 6 | | Q | A Fusai | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | K Rinaldi-Stunkel | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | 6 | J Novotná | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | A Coetzer | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 3 | I Majoli | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| | K Boogert | 6 | 1 | 3 | | A Coetzer | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 3 | I Majoli | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | J Novotná | 2 | 2 |
| 7 | M J Fernández | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | A Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 |
| | J Kruger | 1 | 1 | | 7 | M J Fernández | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M de Swardt | 3 | 4 | | Q | S Hack | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | S Hack | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | Q | S Hack | 2 | 2 | | | | | |
| | Y Basuki | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | 2 | A Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | M Hingis | 6 | 6 | | | M Hingis | 6 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | A Sánchez Vicario | 0 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |