# 1986 South African Open – Singles

Matt Anger was the defending champion, but lost in the final to Amos Mansdorf. The score was 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 7–5.

## Seeds

* Andrés Gómez (quarterfinals)
* Thierry Tulasne (first round)
* Kevin Curren (second round)
* Johan Kriek (semifinals)
* Guy Forget (first round)
* Jakob Hlasek (first round)
* Jimmy Arias (first round)
* Christo Steyn (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 |
| | Amos Mansdorf | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| | Eddie Edwards | 0 | 5 | | | | | |
| | Eddie Edwards | 0 | 5 | Amos Mansdorf | 6 | 3 | 6 | 7 |
| | | | | Matt Anger | 3 | 6 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 | Johan Kriek | 6 | 6 | Matt Anger | 3 | 6 | 2 | 5 |
| | Matt Anger | 7 | 7 | | | | | |

### Top half

| 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 |
| 1 | A Gómez | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Bates | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | A Gómez | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| WC | P Aldrich | 4 | 6 | 6 | WC | P Aldrich | 2 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | M Robertson | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | 1 | A Gómez | 4 | 4 | | | | |
| Q | L Warder | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | A Mansdorf | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | M De Palmer | 6 | 7 | | | M De Palmer | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Mansdorf | 7 | 6 | | | A Mansdorf | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | C Steyn | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | A Mansdorf | 6 | 7 |
| 3 | K Curren | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | E Edwards | 0 | 5 |
| Q | F González | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | K Curren | 3 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | B Dyke | 7 | 7 | | | B Dyke | 6 | 4 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Sadri | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | B Dyke | 6 | 7 | 3 | | | |
| | E Edwards | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | E Edwards | 7 | 5 | 6 | | | |
| | B Moir | 6 | 7 | 4 | | E Edwards | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | W Masur | 6 | 7 | | | W Masur | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | G Forget | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

| 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/WC | J Hlasek | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | S van der Merwe | 6 | 7 | | WC | S van der Merwe | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Visser | 6 | 6 | 7 | | D Visser | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Lapidus | 1 | 7 | 5 | | | | | | | D Visser | 6 | 7 | 5 | | | | |
| | D Maasdorp | 0 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | 4 | J Kriek | 7 | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | C van Rensburg | 6 | 4 | 7 | | C van Rensburg | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | D Cassidy | 4 | 7 | 6 | 4 | J Kriek | 6 | 3 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | J Kriek | 6 | 5 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | J Kriek | 6 | 6 |
| 7 | J Arias | 7 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | M Anger | 7 | 7 |
| | M Westphal | 6 | 6 | 6 | | M Westphal | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Perkiss | 2 | 4 | | | B Testerman | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Testerman | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | M Westphal | 3 | 3 | | | | | |
| | M Woodforde | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | M Anger | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| Q | S Glickstein | 6 | 7 | | Q | S Glickstein | 7 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Anger | 6 | 6 | 6 | | M Anger | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | T Tulasne | 2 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |