# 1996 French Open – Women's doubles

Lindsay Davenport and Mary Joe Fernández defeated the four-time defending champions Gigi Fernández and Natasha Zvereva in the final, 6–2, 6–1 to win the women's doubles tennis title at the 1996 French Open. It was Davenport's first major title; she would go on to win a further two majors in doubles and three majors in singles, eventually becoming the world No. 1 in both disciplines.

## Seeds

The seeded players are listed below. Lindsay Davenport and Mary Joe Fernández are the champions; others show the round in which they were eliminated.
* Jana Novotná / Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (semifinals)
* Gigi Fernández / Natasha Zvereva (final)
* Meredith McGrath / Larisa Neiland (semifinals)
* Lindsay Davenport / Mary Joe Fernández (champions)
* Nicole Arendt / Manon Bollegraf (quarterfinals)
* Martina Hingis / Helena Suková (quarterfinals)
* Lisa Raymond / Rennae Stubbs (third round)
* Julie Halard-Decugis / Nathalie Tauziat (third round)
* Katrina Adams / Mariaan de Swardt (quarterfinals)
* Kristie Boogert / Nicole Bradtke (first round)
* Amanda Coetzer / Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (second round)
* Conchita Martínez / Patricia Tarabini (third round)
* Laura Golarsa / Irina Spîrlea (first round)
* Yayuk Basuki / Caroline Vis (third round)
* Alexia Dechaume-Balleret / Sandrine Testud (second round)
* Els Callens / Laurence Courtois (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

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Nicole Arendt Manon Bollegraf | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Nicole Arendt Manon Bollegraf | 4 | 4 | | 1 | Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 2 | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Lindsay Davenport Mary Joe Fernández | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 4 | Lindsay Davenport Mary Joe Fernández | 6 | 6 | | 4 | Lindsay Davenport Mary Joe Fernández | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 9 | Katrina Adams Mariaan de Swardt | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Katrina Adams Mariaan de Swardt | 4 | 2 | | | | | | 4 | Lindsay Davenport Mary Joe Fernández | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | 2 | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | Martina Hingis Helena Suková | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Meredith McGrath Larisa Neiland | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Meredith McGrath Larisa Neiland | 6 | 6 | | 3 | Meredith McGrath Larisa Neiland | 5 | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | Alexandra Fusai Mercedes Paz | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| 2 | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 6 | 1 | 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 | J Novotná A Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Koutstaal V Lake | 1 | 2 | | 1 | J Novotná A Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Meier H Nagyová | 6 | 7 | | | S Meier H Nagyová | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Jeyaseelan L Poruri | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | 1 | J Novotná A Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | A Ellwood R Nideffer | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | S-h Park S-t Wang | 1 | 3 | | | | |
| | C Cristea T Ječmenica | 3 | 2 | | | A Ellwood R Nideffer | 2 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | S-h Park S-t Wang | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | S-h Park S-t Wang | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | E Callens L Courtois | 6$^4$ | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | J Novotná A Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 |
| 14 | Y Basuki C Vis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | N Arendt M Bollegraf | 4 | 4 |
| | R Dragomir A Grossman | 4 | 1 | | 14 | Y Basuki C Vis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | K Quentrec-Eagle A-G Sidot | 6 | 6 | | WC | K Quentrec-Eagle A-G Sidot | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Lettiere C Morariu | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | 14 | Y Basuki C Vis | 4 | 5 | | | | |
| | P Langrová R Zrubáková | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | 5 | N Arendt M Bollegraf | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | E deLone N Pratt | 3 | 6 | 1 | | P Langrová R Zrubáková | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Cecchini L Garrone | 2 | 6$^3$ | | 5 | N Arendt M Bollegraf | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | N Arendt M Bollegraf | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 4 | L Davenport MJ Fernández | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Hetherington K Rinaldy-Stunkel | 6$^2$ | 4 | | 4 | L Davenport MJ Fernández | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Krijger-Jagerman S Rottier | 6 | 5 | 2 | | K Nagatsuka A Sugiyama | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Nagatsuka A Sugiyama | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 4 | L Davenport MJ Fernández | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | O Lugina E Pampoulova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | O Lugina E Pampoulova | 2 | 1 | | | | |
| | S Krivencheva E Martincová | 4 | 3 | | | O Lugina E Pampoulova | 6 | 6$^3$ | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | E Melicharová H Vildová | 0 | 2 | | 11 | A Coetzer B Schultz-McCarthy | 4 | 7$^7$ | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | A Coetzer B Schultz-McCarthy | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | L Davenport MJ Fernández | 6 | 6 |
| 9 | K Adams M de Swardt | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | K Adams M de Swardt | 4 | 2 |
| WC | I Demongeot C Dhenin | 4 | 1 | | 9 | K Adams M de Swardt | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Grzybowska A Olsza | 7 | 3 | 5 | | M Lindström M Strandlund | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Lindström M Strandlund | 5 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | 9 | K Adams M de Swardt | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | A Frazier K Po | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 7 | L Raymond R Stubbs | 3 | 5 | | | | |
| | M Werdel-Witmeyer T Whitlinger-Jones | 6 | 3 | 4 | | A Frazier K Po | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Barclay K Godridge | 4 | 4 | | 7 | L Raymond R Stubbs | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | L Raymond R Stubbs | 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 6 | M Hingis H Suková | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Schwarz K Studeníková | 1 | 1 | | 6 | M Hingis H Suková | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Hiraki N Kijimuta | 6 | 4 | 6 | | R Hiraki N Kijimuta | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Kamstra T Križan | 1 | 6 | 0 | | | | | | 6 | M Hingis H Suková | 7$^9$ | 6 | | | | |
| | L Montalvo P Suárez | 0$^r$ | | | | | | | | | E Smylie L Wild | 6$^7$ | 2 | | | | |
| | R Grande E Likhovtseva | 1 | | | | R Grande E Likhovtseva | 7$^7$ | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | E Smylie L Wild | 4 | 6 | 6 | | E Smylie L Wild | 6$^5$ | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | L Golarsa I Spîrlea | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | M Hingis H Suková | 2 | 4 |
| 12 | C Martínez P Tarabini | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | M McGrath L Neiland | 6 | 6 |
| | W Probst C Singer | 6 | 1 | 1 | 12 | C Martínez P Tarabini | 6 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | D Krajčovičová L Němečková | 4 | 3 | | | Å Carlsson A Temesvári | 3 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | Å Carlsson A Temesvári | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 12 | C Martínez P Tarabini | 5 | 5 | | | | |
| | N Miyagi S Reece | 0 | 0 | | | | | | | 3 | M McGrath L Neiland | 7 | 7 | | | | |
| | K Radford S Stafford | 6 | 6 | | | K Radford S Stafford | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Appelmans M Oremans | 2 | 4 | | 3 | M McGrath L Neiland | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | M McGrath L Neiland | 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 | Quarterfinals |
| 8 | J Halard-Decugis N Tauziat | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Feber D van Roost | 6 | 2 | 2 | 8 | J Halard-Decugis N Tauziat | 5 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Lee C Schneider | 1 | 6$^2$ | | | N Dahlman C Wood | 7 | 1 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Dahlman C Wood | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | 8 | J Halard-Decugis N Tauziat | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | A Fusai M Paz | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | A Fusai M Paz | 6 | 3 | 8 | | | | | |
| | R Bobková D Graham | 4 | 3 | | | A Fusai M Paz | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | N Dechy A Mauresmo | 3 | 1 | | 15 | A Dechaume-Balleret S Testud | 6 | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | A Dechaume-Balleret S Testud | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | A Fusai M Paz | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| 10 | K Boogert N Bradtke | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | G Fernández N Zvereva | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| | E Makarova E Maniokova | 6 | 6 | | | E Makarova E Maniokova | 6$^2$ | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Kschwendt R Simpson | 6 | 4 | 0 | | R McQuillan L Pleming | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R McQuillan L Pleming | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | R McQuillan L Pleming | 1 | 6$^3$ | | | | | | |
| WC | L Ghirardi-Rubbi S Pitkowski | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | 2 | G Fernández N Zvereva | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | |
| | C Papadáki E Tatarkova | 3 | 5 | | WC | L Ghirardi-Rubbi S Pitkowski | 3 | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K-A Guse P Hy-Boulais | 0 | 2 | | 2 | G Fernández N Zvereva | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | G Fernández N Zvereva | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |