# 1996 Open Gaz de France – Singles

Steffi Graf was the defending champion but did not compete that year.
Julie Halard-Decugis won in the final 7–5, 7–6 against Iva Majoli.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top four seeds received a bye to the second round.
* Iva Majoli (final)
* Anke Huber (quarterfinals)
* Magdalena Maleeva (semifinals)
* Mary Pierce (second round)
* Jana Novotná (first round)
* Martina Hingis (second round)
* Nathalie Tauziat (second round)
* Helena Suková (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

### Final

| Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Iva Majoli | 5 | 6 | |
| | Julie Halard-Decugis | 7 | 7 | |

### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| | | | | | 1 | I Majoli | w/o | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Testud | 4 | 6 | 6 | | S Testud | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | N Medvedeva | 6 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | 1 | I Majoli | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | L McNeil | 3 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | Q | N Dechy | 6 | 4 | 1 | | | | | |
| Q | N Dechy | 6 | 4 | 6 | Q | N Dechy | 7 | 1 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Rittner | 3 | 1 | | 7 | N Tauziat | 5 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | N Tauziat | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | I Majoli | 1 | 7 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | M Maleeva | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| | | | | | 3 | M Maleeva | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Likhovtseva | 4 | 6 | 6 | | E Likhovtseva | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | A-G Sidot | 6 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | 3 | M Maleeva | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | M Oremans | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | M Oremans | 3 | 4 | | | | | | |
| | M de Swardt | 1 | 7 | 2 | | M Oremans | 6 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Wiesner | 1 | 7 | 6 | | J Wiesner | 7 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | J Novotná | 6 | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 6 | M Hingis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | M McGrath | 2 | 2 | 6 | M Hingis | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Boogert | 1 | 4 | | S Farina | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Farina | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | S Farina | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | L Courtois | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | P Begerow | 3 | 1 | | | | |
| | P Begerow | 6 | 7 | | P Begerow | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 4 | M Pierce | 5 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | S Farina | 4 | 4 |
| 8 | H Suková | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | J Halard-Decugis | 6 | 6 |
| | J Halard-Decugis | 6 | 6 | | J Halard-Decugis | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| LL | M Schnell | 3 | 5 | | S Appelmans | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Appelmans | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | J Halard-Decugis | 6 | 2 | 7 | | | |
| | E Makarova | 4 | 3 | | | | | | 2 | A Huber | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | |
| | D Van Roost | 6 | 6 | | D Van Roost | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | 2 | A Huber | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |