# 1988 Virginia Slims of California – Singles

Zina Garrison was the defending champion but lost in the semifinals to Martina Navratilova.
Navratilova won in the final 6–1, 6–2 against Larisa Savchenko.

## 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)
* Gabriela Sabatini (semifinals)
* Hana Mandlíková (quarterfinals)
* Zina Garrison (semifinals)
* Sylvia Hanika (second round)
* Natasha Zvereva (quarterfinals)
* Mary Joe Fernández (second round)
* Catarina Lindqvist (second 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 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Rehe | 3 | 2 | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Gerken | 1 | 2 | | | W Turnbull | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | W Turnbull | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Pfaff | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | 6 | N Zvereva | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | C Benjamin | 6 | 7 | | Q | C Benjamin | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Harper | 6 | 3 | | 6 | N Zvereva | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | N Zvereva | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | M Navratilova | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 4 | Z Garrison | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Z Garrison | 2 | 0 | | | | |
| | H Ludloff | 4 | 2 | | 4 | Z Garrison | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | W White | 6 | 1 | 6 | | W White | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Fairbank | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | 4 | Z Garrison | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Meskhi | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | H Na | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Na | 6 | 2 | 6 | | H Na | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Kijimuta | 0 | 1 | | 8 | C Lindqvist | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | C Lindqvist | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Martina Navratilova | 6 | 6 |
| 7 | M J Fernández | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Larisa Savchenko | 1 | 2 |
| | E Hakami | 5 | 3 | | 7 | M J Fernández | 6 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Savchenko | 6 | 6 | | | L Savchenko | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Werdel | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | L Savchenko | 6 | 2 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | N Bykova | 5 | 2 | | | | | | | 3 | H Mandlíková | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | E Reinach | 7 | 6 | | Q | E Reinach | 7 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Bonder | 3 | 2 | | 3 | H Mandlíková | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | H Mandlíková | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | L Savchenko | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| 5 | S Hanika | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | G Sabatini | 5 | 4 | | | | |
| | T Phelps | 4 | 4 | | 5 | S Hanika | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Burgin | 2 | 2 | | | R White | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R White | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | R White | 2 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Novotná | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 2 | G Sabatini | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | G Fernández | 6 | 3 | | | J Novotná | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Henricksson | 5 | 4 | | 2 | G Sabatini | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | G Sabatini | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |