# 1996 State Farm Evert Cup – Singles

Steffi Graf defeated Conchita Martínez in the final, 7–6$^{(7–5)}$, 7–6$^{(7–5)}$ to win the women's singles tennis title at the 1996 Indian Wells Masters.
Mary Joe Fernández was the defending champion, but lost in the third round to Nathalie Tauziat.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top nine seeds received a bye to the second round.
* Steffi Graf (champion)
* Conchita Martínez (final)
* n/a
* Kimiko Date (semifinals)
* Chanda Rubin (quarterfinals)
* Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (third round)
* Lindsay Davenport (semifinals)
* Mary Joe Fernández (third round)
* Amanda Coetzer (quarterfinals)
* Julie Halard-Decugis (third round)
* Amy Frazier (first round)
* Zina Garrison-Jackson (first round)
* Nathalie Tauziat (quarterfinals)
* Irina Spîrlea (third round)
* Judith Wiesner (third round)
* Lisa Raymond (second round)
* Naoko Sawamatsu (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

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Steffi Graf | 6$^6$ | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | |
| 7 | Lindsay Davenport | 7$^8$ | 6$^3$ | 4 | | | | |
| 7 | Lindsay Davenport | 7$^8$ | 6$^3$ | 4 | 1 | Steffi Graf | 7$^7$ | 7$^7$ |
| | | | | | 2 | Conchita Martínez | 6$^5$ | 6$^5$ |
| 4 | Kimiko Date | 0 | 4 | | 2 | Conchita Martínez | 6$^5$ | 6$^5$ |
| 2 | Conchita Martínez | 6 | 6 | | | | | |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| 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 |
| | | | | | 1 | S Graf | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Richterová | 4 | 3 | | WC | K Triska | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | K Triska | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | S Graf | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | A Gavaldón | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 10 | J Halard-Decugis | 3 | 5 | | | | |
| Q | M Vento | 4 | 3 | | | A Gavaldón | 1 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | V Williams | 2 | 4 | | 10 | J Halard-Decugis | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | J Halard-Decugis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | S Graf | 6 | 6 |
| 14 | I Spîrlea | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | A Coetzer | 4 | 1 |
| | A Serra Zanetti | 4 | 2 | | 14 | I Spîrlea | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Hack | 6 | 6 | | | S Hack | 5 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Singer | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | 14 | I Spîrlea | 2 | 1 | | | | |
| Q | C Cristea | 1 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | 9 | A Coetzer | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| WC | M Tu | 6 | 4 | 6 | WC | M Tu | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 9 | A Coetzer | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| 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 |
| | | | | | 5 | C Rubin | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | N Bradtke | 6 | 2 | 6 | | N Bradtke | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| | B Schett | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | 5 | C Rubin | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | R Grande | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | J Capriati | 3 | 3 | | | | |
| | J Capriati | 6 | 6 | | | J Capriati | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | S-T Wang | 6 | 6 | | | S-T Wang | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | A Frazier | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | C Rubin | 0 | 3 |
| 15 | J Wiesner | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | | | | 7 | L Davenport | 6 | 6 |
| Q | F Li | 3 | 6$^1$ | | 15 | J Wiesner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | E Likhovtseva | 7$^7$ | 2 | 6 | | E Likhovtseva | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | K Nowak | 6$^5$ | 6 | 4 | | | | | 15 | J Wiesner | 6$^6$ | 1 | | | | |
| | M Werdel-Witmeyer | 4 | 5 | | | | | | 7 | L Davenport | 7$^8$ | 6 | | | | |
| | M de Swardt | 6 | 7 | | | M de Swardt | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 7 | L Davenport | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | |

### 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 |
| | | | | | 8 | M J Fernández | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | A Smashnova | 5 | 7 | 6 | LL | A Smashnova | 0 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | I Gorrochategui | 7 | 5 | 3 | | | | | | 8 | M J Fernández | 6$^3$ | 4 | | | | | |
| Q | Á Montolio | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | 13 | N Tauziat | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | |
| | S Testud | 6 | 6 | | | S Testud | 0 | 6$^6$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Dechaume-Balleret | 6 | 1 | 4 | 13 | N Tauziat | 6 | 7$^8$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | N Tauziat | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 13 | N Tauziat | 7$^7$ | 3 | 3 |
| 17 | N Sawamatsu | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | K Date | 6$^2$ | 6 | 6 |
| WC | A Stevenson | 3 | 0 | | 17 | N Sawamatsu | 5 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | L Neiland | 3 | 6 | 6 | Q | L Neiland | 7 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Fernández | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | Q | L Neiland | 4 | 0 | | | | | |
| LL | N Kijimuta | 7 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | 4 | K Date | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | R Dragomir | 5 | 6 | 6 | | R Dragomir | 7$^7$ | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | K Date | 6$^5$ | 6 | 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 |
| | | | | | 6 | B Schultz-McCarthy | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Watanabe | 5 | 5 | | | J Watanabe | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Kruger | 7 | 5 | r | | | | | | 6 | B Schultz-McCarthy | 5 | 7$^8$ | 3 | | | | |
| | N Feber | 6 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | L Lee | 7 | 6$^6$ | 6 | | | | |
| | L Lee | 4 | 6 | 7 | | L Lee | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | J-Q Yi | 0 | 6 | 6 | LL | J-Q Yi | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Z Garrison-Jackson | 6 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | L Lee | 5 | 2 |
| 16 | L Raymond | 4 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | C Martínez | 7 | 6 |
| | S Farina | 6 | 2 | 5 | 16 | L Raymond | 5 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Sugiyama | 6 | 6 | | | A Sugiyama | 7 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Whitlinger-Jones | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | A Sugiyama | 0 | 3 | | | | | |
| | F Labat | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 2 | C Martínez | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | R McQuillan | 3 | 1 | | | F Labat | 1 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | C Martínez | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |