# 1976 U.S. Clay Court Championships – Women's singles

Chris Evert was the defending champion but had clashing commitments in World TeamTennis. Eleventh-seed Kathy May won the title and $6,000 first-prize money, defeating Brigitte Cuypers in the final.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Lesley Hunt (quarterfinals)
* Cynthia Doerner (third round)
* Janet Newberry (second round)
* Linky Boshoff (quarterfinals)
* Marcie Louie (third round)
* Iris Riedel (second round)
* Kathy Kuykendall (third round)
* Helga Masthoff (semifinals)
* Marise Kruger (first round)
* Brigitte Cuypers (final)
* Kathy May (champion)
* Valerie Ziegenfuss (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

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Lesley Hunt | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Kathy May | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Kathy May | 6 | 3 | 6 | 11 | Kathy May | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Fiorella Bonicelli | 3 | 3 | | | | | |
| | Mary Struthers | 2 | 0 | | | Fiorella Bonicelli | 3 | 3 | | | | | |
| | Fiorella Bonicelli | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Fiorella Bonicelli | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 11 | Kathy May | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | 10 | Brigitte Cuypers | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| 8 | Helga Masthoff | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | Brigitte Cuypers | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| 4 | Linky Boshoff | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Linky Boshoff | 4 | 4 | | 8 | Helga Masthoff | 3 | 5 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 10 | Brigitte Cuypers | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| 10 | Brigitte Cuypers | 6 | 7 | | 10 | Brigitte Cuypers | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| | Laura duPont | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | L Hunt | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Gurdal | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 1 | L Hunt | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | Q | B Jordan | 3 | 0 | | | | | |
| Q | B Jordan | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Hamm | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | L Hunt | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | 11 | K May | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| 5 | M Louie | 6 | 2 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Tenney | 1 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | M Louie | 1 | r | | | | | |
| | | | | | 11 | K May | 6 | | | | | | |
| 11 | K May | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Bruning | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 3 | J Newberry | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Martinez | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | J Newberry | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Harter | 2 | 6 | | | M Struthers | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Struthers | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | M Struthers | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | |
| | H Eisterlehner | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | W Turnbull | 2 | 6 | 3 | | | |
| 9 | M Kruger | 1 | 6 | 1 | | H Eisterlehner | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Coles | 2 | 3 | | | W Turnbull | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | W Turnbull | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | M Struthers | 2 | 0 |
| Q | Vickie Kerr | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | F Bonicelli | 6 | 6 |
| | V Ruzici | 6 | 6 | | | V Ruzici | 2 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | K Kuykendall | 6 | 6 | | 7 | K Kuykendall | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | C Reynolds | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | 7 | K Kuykendall | 2 | 4 | | | | |
| | G Chanfreau | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | F Bonicelli | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | F Bonicelli | 6 | 6 | | | F Bonicelli | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Nagelsen | 4 | 3 | | | F Mihai | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | F Mihai | 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 |
| Q | F Guédy | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Stap | 6 | 4 | 3 | Q | F Guédy | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | M O'Keefe | 6 | 3 | 2 | 8 | H Masthoff | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | H Masthoff | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 8 | H Masthoff | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | R Gerulaitis | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | I Kloss | 1 | 2 | | | | |
| | I Kloss | 6 | 6 | | | I Kloss | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Mehmedbasich | 1 | 4 | | 12 | V Ziegenfuss | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | V Ziegenfuss | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | H Masthoff | 6 | 6 |
| | S Walsh | 2 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | L Boshoff | 4 | 4 |
| | J Metcalf | 6 | 6 | 6 | | J Metcalf | 7 | 0 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | M Simionescu | 6 | 6 | | | M Simionescu | 6 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | L Thomas | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | J Metcalf | 3 | 5 | | | | |
| Q | P Whytcross | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | 4 | L Boshoff | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | J Evert | 6 | 6 | | | J Evert | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Sato | 3 | 3 | | 4 | L Boshoff | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | L Boshoff | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | R Stark | 5 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | B Cuypers | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 10 | B Cuypers | 5 | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | Q | J Fayter | 7 | 5 | 1 | | | | |
| Q | J Fayter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | I Riedel | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 10 | B Cuypers | 6 | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | | L duPont | 2 | 6 |
| | L duPont | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | R Darmon | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | L duPont | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | 2 | C Doerner | 4 | 6 | 2 | | | | |
| | S Greer | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | C Doerner | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |