# 1998 Italian Open – Women's singles

Martina Hingis defeated Venus Williams in the final, with a score of 6–3, 2–6, 6–3 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 1998 Italian Open.
Mary Pierce was the defending champion, but lost in the third round to Mirjana Lučić.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top eight seeds received a bye to the second round.
* Martina Hingis (champion)
* Jana Novotná (second round)
* Amanda Coetzer (second round)
* Mary Pierce (third round)
* Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario (semifinals)
* Monica Seles (third round)
* Conchita Martínez (third round)
* Iva Majoli (third round)
* Venus Williams (final)
* Irina Spîrlea (third round)
* Nathalie Tauziat (first round)
* Sandrine Testud (quarterfinals)
* Dominique Van Roost (third round)
* Anna Kournikova (quarterfinals)
* Lisa Raymond (quarterfinals)
* Patty Schnyder (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 | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Martina Hingis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Anna Kournikova | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Anna Kournikova | 2 | 4 | | 1 | Martina Hingis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Mirjana Lučić | 2 | 1 | | | | | | |
| | Mirjana Lučić | 7 | 0 | | | Mirjana Lučić | 2 | 1 | | | | | | |
| 12 | Sandrine Testud | 5 | 0$^r$ | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Sandrine Testud | 5 | 0$^r$ | | | | | | | 1 | Martina Hingis | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 9 | Venus Williams | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| 5 | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | Venus Williams | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| 15 | Lisa Raymond | 7 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Lisa Raymond | 7 | 1 | 2 | 5 | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 3 | 6 | 5 | | | | | |
| | | | | | 9 | Venus Williams | 6 | 2 | 7 | | | | | |
| | Serena Williams | 4 | 2 | | 9 | Venus Williams | 6 | 2 | 7 | | | | | |
| 9 | Venus Williams | 6 | 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 1 | M Hingis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | F Li | 7 | 6 | | | F Li | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | O Barabanschikova | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | 1 | M Hingis | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | G León García | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | 10 | I Spîrlea | 1 | 2 | | | | | |
| | V Ruano Pascual | 7 | 6 | | | V Ruano Pascual | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Halard-Decugis | 4 | 2 | | 10 | I Spîrlea | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | I Spîrlea | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | M Hingis | 6 | 6 |
| 14 | A Kournikova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | A Kournikova | 2 | 4 |
| Q | V Csurgo | 0 | 1 | | 14 | A Kournikova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Vento | 2 | 3 | | | B Paulus | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Paulus | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 14 | A Kournikova | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | J Kandarr | 4 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | 8 | I Majoli | 3 | 6 | 2 | | | | |
| | F Labat | 6 | 4 | 6 | Q | J Kandarr | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | I Majoli | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

#### 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 | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 4 | M Pierce | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Pitkowski | 6 | 3 | 6 | | S Pitkowski | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Appelmans | 1 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | 4 | M Pierce | 5 | 4 | | | | | |
| | M Lučić | 6 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | M Lučić | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | S Cacic | 1 | 7 | 6 | | M Lučić | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Likhovtseva | 4 | 6 | 6 | | E Likhovtseva | 6 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | P Schnyder | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | M Lučić | 7 | 0 |
| 12 | S Testud | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | S Testud | 5 | 0$^r$ |
| WC | L Golarsa | 6 | 4 | 2 | 12 | S Testud | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Schett | 4 | 6 | 6 | | B Schett | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Grzybowska | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | 12 | S Testud | 6 | 4 | 7 | | | | |
| WC | F Lubiani | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | 6 | M Seles | 2 | 6 | 5 | | | | |
| | S Farina | 6 | 6 | | | S Farina | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | M Seles | 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 | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 6 | A Sánchez-Vicario | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | C Torrens Valero | 4 | 6 | 6 | Q | C Torrens Valero | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Schultz-McCarthy | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | 6 | A Sánchez-Vicario | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | L Courtois | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | 13 | D Van Roost | 1 | 2 | | | | | |
| | N Sawamatsu | 1 | 6 | 6 | | N Sawamatsu | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Habšudová | 4 | 2 | | 13 | D Van Roost | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | D Van Roost | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | A Sánchez-Vicario | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 15 | L Raymond | 2 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | 15 | L Raymond | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| | A-G Sidot | 6 | 3 | 5 | 15 | L Raymond | 6 | 3 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Grande | 3 | 0 | | Q | A Miller | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Miller | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 15 | L Raymond | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | R Dragomir | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | R Dragomir | 4 | 1 | | | | | |
| WC | J Capriati | 3 | 2 | | | R Dragomir | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 3 | A Coetzer | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 7 | C Martínez | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| WC | F Perfetti | 7 | 6 | | WC | F Perfetti | 1 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | E Gagliardi | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | 7 | C Martínez | 2 | 2 | | | | |
| Q | T Garbin | 7 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | S Williams | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | J Kruger | 6 | 6 | 6 | | J Kruger | 1$^r$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Williams | 7 | 6 | | | S Williams | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | N Tauziat | 5 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | S Williams | 4 | 2 |
| 9 | V Williams | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | V Williams | 6 | 6 |
| | Y Basuki | 2 | 3 | | 9 | V Williams | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Oremans | 4 | 1 | | Q | M Sánchez Lorenzo | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | M Sánchez Lorenzo | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 9 | V Williams | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | A Fusai | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | Q | A Fusai | 1 | 1 | | | | |
| | A Sugiyama | 6 | 0 | | Q | A Fusai | 2 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | J Novotná | 6 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | |