# 1988 Italian Open – Women's singles

Steffi Graf was the defending champion but did not compete that year.
Gabriela Sabatini won in the final 6–1, 6–7, 6–1 against Helen Kelesi.

## 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.
* Chris Evert (third round)
* Gabriela Sabatini (champion)
* Claudia Kohde-Kilsch (third round)
* Katerina Maleeva (second round)
* Raffaella Reggi (quarterfinals)
* Sandra Cecchini (quarterfinals)
* Sylvia Hanika (quarterfinals)
* Arantxa Sánchez (semifinals)
* Nathalie Tauziat (first round)
* Isabel Cueto (third round)
* Jana Novotná (first round)
* Kathleen Horvath (first round)
* Judith Wiesner (semifinals)
* Helen Kelesi (final)
* 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 | Final |
| 14 | Helen Kelesi | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| 8 | Arantxa Sánchez | 3 | 5 | | | | | |
| 8 | Arantxa Sánchez | 3 | 5 | 14 | Helen Kelesi | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| | | | | 2 | Gabriela Sabatini | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 13 | Judith Wiesner | 6 | 3 | 2 | Gabriela Sabatini | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | Gabriela Sabatini | 7 | 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 | C Evert | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Provis | 7 | 5 | 6 | | N Provis | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Byrne | 5 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | 1 | C Evert | | | | | | |
| | P Huber | 2 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | 14 | H Kelesi | w/o | | | | | |
| Q | C Cohen | 6 | 4 | 6 | Q | C Cohen | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Garrone | 1 | 6 | | 14 | H Kelesi | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | H Kelesi | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | H Kelesi | 6 | 6 |
| 10 | I Cueto | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | R Reggi | 4 | 3 |
| | M Paz | 3 | 6 | | 10 | I Cueto | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | C Jolissaint | 2 | 3 | | | R Zrubáková | 5 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | R Zrubáková | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 10 | I Cueto | 5 | 3 | | | | |
| | H ter Riet | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | 5 | R Reggi | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | I Demongeot | 6 | 6 | | | I Demongeot | 7 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | R Reggi | 5 | 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 |
| | | | | | 4 | K Maleeva | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | B Fulco | 6 | 7 | | | B Fulco | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | M Gurney | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | B Fulco | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | B Bowes | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | J Halard | 3 | 3 | | | | |
| Q | S La Fratta | 6 | 6 | | Q | S La Fratta | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | M Pérez-Roldán | 3 | 6 | 4 | | J Halard | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Halard | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | B Fulco | 4 | 4 |
| 12 | K Horvath | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | 8 | A Sánchez | 6 | 6 |
| | I Kuczyńska | 6 | 6 | | | I Kuczyńska | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | C Suire | 3 | 2 | | | S Goleš | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Goleš | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | S Goleš | 3 | 3 | | | | |
| | B Paulus | 1 | 3 | | | | | | 8 | A Sánchez | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | L Ferrando | 6 | 6 | | | L Ferrando | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | A Sánchez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### Section 3

| 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 |
| | | | | | 6 | S Cecchini | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | I Budařová | 7 | 4 | 5 | Q | D Krajčovičová | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | D Krajčovičová | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | 6 | S Cecchini | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | E Krapl | 6 | 6 | | | | | | Q | A Kanellopoulou | 6 | 1 | 4 | | | | |
| | L Golarsa | 3 | 2 | | | E Krapl | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Kanellopoulou | 3 | 6 | 6 | Q | A Kanellopoulou | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | N Tauziat | 6 | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | S Cecchini | 3 | 3 |
| 13 | J Wiesner | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 13 | J Wiesner | 6 | 6 |
| | G Boschiero | 3 | 7 | 2 | 13 | J Wiesner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Villagrán | 3 | 7 | 6 | | A Villagrán | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Wasserman | 6 | 5 | 2 | | | | | 13 | J Wiesner | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | |
| | C Caverzasio | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 3 | C Kohde-Kilsch | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | |
| | C Singer | 4 | 1 | | | C Caverzasio | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 3 | C Kohde-Kilsch | 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 7 | S Hanika | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Bollegraf | 1 | 4 | | Q | B Romanò | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | B Romanò | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 7 | S Hanika | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | L Lapi | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | A Dechaume | 2 | 1 | | | | | |
| | F Bonsignori | 6 | 6 | | | F Bonsignori | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Tanvier | 1 | 6 | 2 | | A Dechaume | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Dechaume | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 7 | S Hanika | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | J Novotná | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | G Sabatini | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| | N Dias | 2 | 6 | 7 | | N Dias | 4 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | E Derly | 6 | 6 | | Q | E Derly | 6 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Miró | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | N Dias | 0 | 2 | | | | | |
| | P Medrado | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | 2 | G Sabatini | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| Q | A Schwartz | 6 | 6 | | Q | A Schwartz | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | G Sabatini | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |