# 1988 Virginia Slims of Washington – Singles

Hana Mandlíková was the defending champion but lost in the semifinals to Martina Navratilova.
Navratilova won in the final 6–0, 6–2 against Pam Shriver.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Martina Navratilova (champion)
* Pam Shriver (final)
* Gabriela Sabatini (semifinals)
* Hana Mandlíková (semifinals)
* Helena Suková (quarterfinals)
* Zina Garrison (quarterfinals)
* Barbara Potter (quarterfinals)
* Natasha Zvereva (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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Wiesner | 2 | 3 | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Ludloff | 7 | 4 | 5 | | G Fernández | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Fernández | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M L Daniels | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | 6 | Z Garrison | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Ingram | 6 | 1 | 6 | | J Ingram | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | I Demongeot | 2 | 0 | r | 6 | Z Garrison | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Z Garrison | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 4 | H Mandlíková | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | H Mandlíková | 4 | 2 | | | | |
| | W Turnbull | 3 | 2 | | 4 | H Mandlíková | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Harper | 3 | 2 | | | T Phelps | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Phelps | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 4 | H Mandlíková | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | R White | 6 | 2 | | | | | | 8 | N Zvereva | 7 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | A Henricksson | 2 | 0 | r | | R White | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Bonder | 4 | 6 | | 8 | N Zvereva | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | N Zvereva | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Martina Navratilova | 6 | 6 |
| 7 | B Potter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Pam Shriver | 0 | 2 |
| | N Bykova | 4 | 1 | | 7 | B Potter | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Kijimuta | 6 | 6 | | | L Meskhi | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Meskhi | 7 | 7 | | | | | | 7 | B Potter | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | W White | 4 | 6 | | | | | | 3 | G Sabatini | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Tauziat | 6 | 7 | | | N Tauziat | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Kessaris | 3 | 1 | | 3 | G Sabatini | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | G Sabatini | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | G Sabatini | 5 | 6 | | | | |
| 5 | H Suková | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | P Shriver | 7 | 7 | | | | |
| | K Keil | 1 | 0 | | 5 | H Suková | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Savchenko | 6 | 6 | | | L Savchenko | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Gerken | 1 | 3 | | | | | | 5 | H Suková | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Rehe | 3 | 6 | 1 | | | | | 2 | P Shriver | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Hanika | 6 | 4 | 6 | | S Hanika | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Provis | 0 | 4 | | 2 | P Shriver | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | P Shriver | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |