# 2016 Dubai Tennis Championships – Women's singles

Sara Errani defeated Barbora Strýcová in the final, 6–0, 6–2 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 2016 Dubai Tennis Championships.
Simona Halep was the defending champion, but lost to Ana Ivanovic in the second round.
This was the first time at either a WTA Tour or ATP Tour event that all seeded players lost their opening match.

## Seeds

The top four seeds received a bye into the second round.
* Simona Halep (second round)
* Garbiñe Muguruza (second round)
* Carla Suárez Navarro (second round)
* Petra Kvitová (second round)
* Belinda Bencic (first round)
* Karolína Plíšková (first round)
* Roberta Vinci (first round)
* Svetlana Kuznetsova (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 |
| Barbora Strýcová | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | |
| Caroline Garcia | 2 | 6 | 3 | | | |
| Caroline Garcia | 2 | 6 | 3 | Barbora Strýcová | 0 | 2 |
| | | | | Sara Errani | 6 | 6 |
| Sara Errani | 6 | 6 | | Sara Errani | 6 | 6 |
| Elina Svitolina | 4 | 4 | | | | |

### 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 | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| | | | | | 1/WC | S Halep | 6$^2$ | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | A Ivanovic | 6 | 6 | | | A Ivanovic | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | D Gavrilova | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | A Ivanovic | 6$^5$ | 3 | | | | |
| | B Strýcová | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | B Strýcová | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | |
| Q | T Pironkova | 4 | 3 | | | B Strýcová | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| WC | J Görges | 6 | 6 | | WC | J Görges | 6 | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | S Kuznetsova | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | B Strýcová | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | C Garcia | 2 | 6 | 3 |
| | | | | | 3 | C Suárez Navarro | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | AK Schmiedlová | 4 | 1 | | | C Garcia | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | C Garcia | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | C Garcia | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | C Giorgi | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | A Petkovic | 3 | 4 | | | | |
| | A Petkovic | 6 | 6 | | | A Petkovic | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Janković | 4 | 7 | 6 | | J Janković | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | B Bencic | 6 | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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 | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 7 | R Vinci | 0 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Y Shvedova | 6 | 4 | 6 | Q | Y Shvedova | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | S Zheng | 5 | 3 | | | S Errani | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Errani | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | S Errani | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | |
| | M Brengle | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | M Brengle | 6 | 1 | 4 | | | |
| | E Makarova | 4 | 5 | | | M Brengle | 0 | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4/WC | P Kvitová | 6 | 6$^1$ | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | S Errani | 6 | 6 |
| 6/WC | Ka Plíšková | 6$^5$ | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | E Svitolina | 4 | 4 |
| | C Vandeweghe | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | C Vandeweghe | 7 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | L Tsurenko | 2 | 6$^1$ | | | K Mladenovic | 5 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | K Mladenovic | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | C Vandeweghe | 4 | 6 | 2 | | | |
| | E Svitolina | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | E Svitolina | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | |
| Q | J Čepelová | 3 | 1 | | | E Svitolina | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | G Muguruza | 6$^3$ | 3 | | | | | | | | |

## Qualifying
### Seeds

* Varvara Lepchenko (qualifying competition)
* Anna-Lena Friedsam (qualifying competition)
* Nao Hibino (first round)
* Denisa Allertová (qualifying competition)
* Zarina Diyas (first round)
* Zheng Saisai (qualified)
* Lucie Hradecká (withdrew due to change of schedule)
* Kateryna Bondarenko (second round)
* Carina Witthöft (first round)

### Qualifiers

* Zheng Saisai
* Tsvetana Pironkova
* Jana Čepelová
* Yaroslava Shvedova

### Qualifying draw
#### First qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| 1 | Varvara Lepchenko | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | Ons Jabeur | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | Ons Jabeur | 4 | 1 | | 1 | Varvara Lepchenko | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Sesil Karatantcheva | 0 | 6$^1$ | | | | | |
| PR | María José Martínez Sánchez | 4 | 6 | 0 | | Sesil Karatantcheva | 0 | 6$^1$ | | | | | |
| | Sesil Karatantcheva | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Sesil Karatantcheva | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | 1 | Varvara Lepchenko | 5 | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Zheng Saisai | 7 | 6 |
| | Andrea Hlaváčková | 7$^7$ | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Zheng Saisai | 7 | 6 |
| | Magda Linette | 6$^3$ | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Magda Linette | 6$^3$ | 6 | 2 | | Andrea Hlaváčková | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Zheng Saisai | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | Çağla Büyükakçay | 1 | 0 | | 6 | Zheng Saisai | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 6 | Zheng Saisai | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Second qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| 2 | Anna-Lena Friedsam | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Evgeniya Rodina | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Evgeniya Rodina | 5 | 1 | 2 | Anna-Lena Friedsam | 7$^7$ | 2 | 7$^8$ | | | | | |
| | | | | | Wang Qiang | 6$^2$ | 6 | 6$^6$ | | | | | |
| | Wang Qiang | 6 | 6 | | Wang Qiang | 6$^2$ | 6 | 6$^6$ | | | | | |
| WC | Fatma Al-Nabhani | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | Fatma Al-Nabhani | 4 | 4 | | | | | | 2 | Anna-Lena Friedsam | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | Tsvetana Pironkova | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| | Kristýna Plíšková | 1 | 6$^4$ | | | | | | | | | | | Tsvetana Pironkova | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| | Tsvetana Pironkova | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tsvetana Pironkova | 6 | 7$^7$ | | Tsvetana Pironkova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | 8 | Kateryna Bondarenko | 2 | 1 | | | | | | |
| | Anastasija Sevastova | 3 | 3 | 8 | Kateryna Bondarenko | 2 | 1 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Kateryna Bondarenko | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Third qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| 3 | Nao Hibino | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jeļena Ostapenko | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jeļena Ostapenko | 6 | 6 | | Jeļena Ostapenko | 3 | 3 | | | | | |
| | | | | | Bethanie Mattek-Sands | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Bethanie Mattek-Sands | 6 | 6 | | Bethanie Mattek-Sands | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Ana Konjuh | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ana Konjuh | 2 | 3 | | | | | | Bethanie Mattek-Sands | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | Jana Čepelová | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| | Alison Riske | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | Jana Čepelová | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| | Aliaksandra Sasnovich | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Aliaksandra Sasnovich | 3 | 2 | | Alison Riske | 3 | 7$^7$ | 5 | | | | |
| | | | | | Jana Čepelová | 6 | 6$^1$ | 7 | | | | |
| | Jana Čepelová | 6$^{13}$ | 6 | 6 | Jana Čepelová | 6 | 6$^1$ | 7 | | | | |
| 9 | Carina Witthöft | 7$^{15}$ | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | |

#### Fourth qualifier

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition | Qualifying competition |
| 4 | Denisa Allertová | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Alt | Gabriela Dabrowski | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Alt | Gabriela Dabrowski | 2 | 3 | | 4 | Denisa Allertová | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Kateřina Siniaková | 4 | 3 | | | | | |
| | Kateřina Siniaková | 6 | 6 | | | Kateřina Siniaková | 4 | 3 | | | | | |
| | Olga Savchuk | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Olga Savchuk | 2 | 2 | | | | | | 4 | Denisa Allertová | 4 | 6 | 6$^6$ |
| | | | | | | | | | | Yaroslava Shvedova | 6 | 4 | 7$^8$ |
| | Kristína Kučová | 3 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | Yaroslava Shvedova | 6 | 4 | 7$^8$ |
| | Wang Yafan | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Wang Yafan | 6 | 4 | 6 | | Wang Yafan | 0 | 3 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Yaroslava Shvedova | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | Yaroslava Shvedova | 6 | 3 | 6 | | Yaroslava Shvedova | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 5 | Zarina Diyas | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |