# 1996 Italian Open – Women's singles

Three-time defending champion Conchita Martínez defeated Martina Hingis in the final, 6–2, 6–3 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 1996 Italian Open.

## 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.
* Steffi Graf (quarterfinals)
* Conchita Martínez (champion)
* Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (quarterfinals)
* Iva Majoli (semifinals)
* Magdalena Maleeva (quarterfinals)
* Martina Hingis (final)
* Irina Spîrlea (semifinals)
* Nathalie Tauziat (quarterfinals)
* Judith Wiesner (third round)
* Petra Begerow (first round)
* Yayuk Basuki (second round)
* Sandrine Testud (third round)
* Lindsay Lee (second round)
* Joannette Kruger (second round)
* Florencia Labat (first round)
* Barbara Schett (third 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

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 6 | Martina Hingis | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| 7 | Irina Spîrlea | 2 | 5 | | | | | |
| 7 | Irina Spîrlea | 2 | 5 | | 6 | Martina Hingis | 2 | 3 |
| | | | | | 2 | Conchita Martínez | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Iva Majoli | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | Conchita Martínez | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | Conchita Martínez | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 1 | S Graf | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Dechaume-Balleret | 7 | 6 | | | A Dechaume-Balleret | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Rinaldi-Stunkel | 6 | 1 | | | | | | 1 | S Graf | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | P Suárez | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | P Suárez | 2 | 4 | | | | | |
| | L Golarsa | 6 | 1 | | | P Suárez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Kandarr | 7 | 6 | 6 | | J Kandarr | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | F Labat | 6 | 7 | 3 | | | | | | | | | 1 | S Graf | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | P Begerow | 2 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | 6 | M Hingis | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| WC | G Pizzichini | 6 | 2 | 6 | WC | G Pizzichini | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Cecchini | 6 | 6 | | | S Cecchini | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Smashnova | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | S Cecchini | 2 | 3 | | | | | |
| | R Grande | 4 | 3 | | | | | | 6 | M Hingis | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | V Ruano-Pascual | 6 | 6 | | | V Ruano-Pascual | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | M Hingis | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 3 | A Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | R Simpson | 4 | 5 | | | A Fusai | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | A Fusai | 6 | 7 | | | | | | 3 | A Sánchez Vicario | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | B Fulco-Villella | 6 | 6 | | | | | | Q | B Fulco-Villella | 6 | 3 | | | | |
| | N Baudone | 3 | 2 | | Q | B Fulco-Villella | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | H Nagyová | 6 | 5 | | 11 | Y Basuki | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Y Basuki | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | A Sánchez Vicario | 4 | 3 |
| 14 | J Kruger | 6 | 1 | 6 | | | | | | | | | 7 | I Spîrlea | 6 | 6 |
| | M-J Gaidano | 4 | 6 | 1 | 14 | J Kruger | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | K Habšudová | 6 | 6 | | | K Habšudová | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | F Fortuni | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | K Habšudová | 4 | 2 | | | | |
| WC | G Boschiero | 5 | 6 | 3 | | | | | 7 | I Spîrlea | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | R Zrubáková | 7 | 2 | 6 | | R Zrubáková | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 7 | I Spîrlea | 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 | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 8 | N Tauziat | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Hy-Boulais | 4 | 4 | | | M Grzybowska | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Grzybowska | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 8 | N Tauziat | 6 | 0 | 6 | | | | |
| | K Nowak | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 16 | B Schett | 3 | 6 | 0 | | | | |
| | V Martinek | 5 | 2 | | | K Nowak | 0 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Ghirardi | 2 | 3 | | 16 | B Schett | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | B Schett | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | N Tauziat | 4 | 1 |
| 13 | L Lee | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | I Majoli | 6 | 6 |
| | S Cacic | 6 | 2 | 4 | 13 | L Lee | 7 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | F Perfetti | 6 | 7 | | | F Perfetti | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Meier | 1 | 5 | | | | | | | | F Perfetti | 2 | 4 | | | | | |
| | L Richterová | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | 4 | I Majoli | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | G León García | 4 | 6 | 7 | | G León García | 7 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | I Majoli | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 5 | M Maleeva | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Sánchez Lorenzo | 6 | 6 | | | M Sánchez Lorenzo | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Stafford | 3 | 3 | | | | | | 5 | M Maleeva | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| WC | L Garrone | 4 | 3 | | | | | | 9 | J Wiesner | 7 | 1 | 4 | | | | | |
| | F Lubiani | 6 | 6 | | | F Lubiani | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | G Casoni | 2 | 2 | | 9 | J Wiesner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | J Wiesner | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | M Maleeva | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| 12 | S Testud | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | C Martínez | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| | A Serra Zanetti | 4 | 6 | 4 | 12 | S Testud | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Kamstra | 6 | 3 | | LL | S Jeyaseelan | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | S Jeyaseelan | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 12 | S Testud | 0 | 1 | | | | | | |
| | J Watanabe | 6 | 0 | | | | | | 2 | C Martínez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | |
| | T Ječmenica | 7 | 6 | | | T Ječmenica | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | C Martínez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |