# 1989 Virginia Slims of Houston – Singles

Chris Evert was the defending champion but lost in the final 3–6, 6–1, 6–4 against Monica Seles.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Chris Evert (final)
* Zina Garrison (second round)
* Katerina Maleeva (first round)
* Lori McNeil (quarterfinals)
* Susan Sloane (semifinals)
* Amy Frazier (second round)
* Isabel Cueto (first round)
* Gretchen Magers (quarterfinals)

## 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
| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | C Evert | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Schimper | 1 | 2 | | 1 | C Evert | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Rinaldi | 7 | 2 | 6 | | K Rinaldi | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Torres | 5 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | 1 | C Evert | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Faber | 6 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | 8 | G Magers | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Adams | 3 | 7 | 6 | | K Adams | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | I Budařová | 6 | 4 | 3 | 8 | G Magers | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | G Magers | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | C Evert | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| 4 | L McNeil | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | S Sloane | 6 | 2 | | | | | |
| | E Hakami | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | L McNeil | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | L Poruri | 6 | 6 | | LL | L Poruri | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Gurney | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | 4 | L McNeil | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Kanellopoulou | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 5 | S Sloane | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Gompert | 3 | 2 | | | A Kanellopoulou | 4 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | P Casale | 0 | 1 | | 5 | S Sloane | 6 | 3 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | S Sloane | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Chris Evert | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | I Cueto | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Monica Seles | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| | E Burgin | 4 | 6 | 6 | | E Burgin | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | K Kessaris | 7 | 6 | | LL | K Kessaris | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Schwartz | 5 | 0 | | | | | | | LL | K Kessaris | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | M Drake | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | C Cunningham | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Na | 6 | 7 | | | H Na | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Cunningham | 4 | 7 | 6 | | C Cunningham | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | K Maleeva | 6 | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | C Cunningham | 0 | 1 | | | | | |
| 6 | A Frazier | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | M Seles | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | A Holíková | 2 | 2 | | 6 | A Frazier | 7 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Seles | 6 | 6 | | | M Seles | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M L Daniels | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | M Seles | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Temesvári | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | A Temesvári | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Pierce | 2 | 3 | | | A Temesvári | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | M de Swardt | 2 | 5 | | 2 | Z Garrison | 3 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Z Garrison | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |