# 1988 Virginia Slims of Houston – Singles

Chris Evert was the defending champion and won in the final 6–0, 6–4 against Martina Navratilova.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Martina Navratilova (final)
* Chris Evert (champion)
* Lori McNeil (first round)
* Zina Garrison (semifinals)
* Arantxa Sánchez (quarterfinals)
* Isabel Cueto (quarterfinals)
* Patricia Tarabini (quarterfinals)
* Rosalyn Fairbank (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
| 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 | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | M Navratilova | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | I Budařová | 5 | 1 | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Kessaris | 3 | 1 | | | H Na | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Na | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | M Navratilova | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | W White | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | 5 | A Sánchez | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Paz | 6 | 6 | | | M Paz | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Phelps | 3 | 5 | | 5 | A Sánchez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | A Sánchez | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 3 | L McNeil | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | E Hakami | 1 | 3 | | | | |
| | M Gurney | 4 | 6 | 6 | | M Gurney | 0 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Adams | 2 | 3 | | | E Hakami | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Hakami | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | E Hakami | w/o | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Cunningham | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | 7 | P Tarabini | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | T Whittington | 2 | 5 | | | C Cunningham | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Holíková | 1 | 3 | | 7 | P Tarabini | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | P Tarabini | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Martina Navratilova | 0 | 4 |
| 6 | I Cueto | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Chris Evert | 6 | 6 |
| | K Schimper | 2 | 4 | | 6 | I Cueto | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Frazier | 2 | 6 | 6 | | A Frazier | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M L Daniels | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | 6 | I Cueto | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D van Rensburg | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 4 | Z Garrison | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | D Faber | 7 | 3 | 3 | | D van Rensburg | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C MacGregor | 2 | 6 | | 4 | Z Garrison | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Z Garrison | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Z Garrison | 5 | 2 | | | | |
| 8 | R Fairbank | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | C Evert | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| | G Magers | 6 | 6 | | | G Magers | 7 | 0 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Casale | 3 | 3 | | | B Fulco | 6 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Fulco | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | G Magers | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | L Spadea | 7 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | 2 | C Evert | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | L Poruri | 5 | 6 | 6 | Q | L Poruri | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Lindström | 2 | 2 | | 2 | C Evert | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | C Evert | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |