1996 WTA German Open – Singles
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Steffi Graf defeated Karina Habšudová in the final, 4–6, 6–2, 7–5 to win the singles tennis title at the 1996 WTA German Open.
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario was the defending champion, but lost in the quarterfinals to Elena Likhovtseva.
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.
- Germany Steffi Graf (champion)
- Spain Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (quarterfinals)
- Croatia Iva Majoli (semifinals)
- Germany Anke Huber (quarterfinals)
- France Mary Pierce (third round)
- South Africa Amanda Coetzer (second round)
- Austria Barbara Paulus (quarterfinals)
- Belarus Natasha Zvereva (second round)
- Switzerland Martina Hingis (second round)
- France Nathalie Tauziat (quarterfinals)
- Japan Ai Sugiyama (first round)
- Austria Judith Wiesner (third round)
- Japan Naoko Sawamatsu (third round)
- Indonesia Yayuk Basuki (third round)
- Germany Sabine Hack (third round)
- France Sandrine Testud (second round)
Draw
Key
- Q = Qualifier
- WC = Wild card
- LL = Lucky loser
- Alt = Alternate
- ITF = ITF entry
- PR = Protected ranking
- SR = Special ranking
- SE = Special exempt
- JE = Junior exempt
- JR = Junior Accelerator Programme entrant
- CO = College Accelerator Programme entrant
- NG = Next Gen Accelerator Program entrant
- w/o = Walkover
- r = Retired
- d = Defaulted
Finals
| Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||
| WC/1 | Germany Steffi Graf | 7 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Croatia Iva Majoli | 5 | 1 | ||||||||||
| WC/1 | Germany Steffi Graf | 4 | 6 | 7 | |||||||||
| Slovakia Karina Habšudová | 6 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||
| Slovakia Karina Habšudová | 6 | 7 | |||||||||||
| Russia Elena Likhovtseva | 1 | 6 |
Top half
Section 1
| First round | Second round | Third round | Quarterfinals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WC/1 | Germany S Graf | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WC | Germany M Weingärtner | 6 | 2 | 2 | United States T Whitlinger-Jones | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States T Whitlinger-Jones | 4 | 6 | 6 | WC/1 | Germany S Graf | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Q | Spain Á Montolio | 5 | 3 | 14 | Indonesia Y Basuki | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Federal Republic of Yugoslavia T Ječmenica | 7 | 6 | Federal Republic of Yugoslavia T Ječmenica | 1 | r | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Poland M Grzybowska | 3 | 6 | 5 | 14 | Indonesia Y Basuki | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Indonesia Y Basuki | 6 | 1 | 7 | WC/1 | Germany S Graf | 6 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | France N Tauziat | 7 | 7 | 10 | France N Tauziat | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Russia E Makarova | 5 | 5 | 10 | France N Tauziat | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Italy R Grande | 6 | 2 | 2 | Israel A Smashnova | 4 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Israel A Smashnova | 4 | 6 | 6 | 10 | France N Tauziat | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany J Kandarr | 5 | 7 | 6 | Germany J Kandarr | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| United States A Grossman | 7 | 6 | 4 | Germany J Kandarr | 7 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | South Africa A Coetzer | 6 | 6 | 3 |
Section 2
| First round | Second round | Third round | Quarterfinals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Croatia I Majoli | 1 | 7 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sweden Å Carlsson | 6 | 6 | Sweden Å Carlsson | 6 | 5 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| United States S Cacic | 2 | 3 | 3 | Croatia I Majoli | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| United States N Arendt | 4 | 4 | 15 | Germany S Hack | 2 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WC | Germany S Klösel | 6 | 6 | WC | Germany S Klösel | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| WC | Germany A Glass | 2 | 4 | 15 | Germany S Hack | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Germany S Hack | 6 | 6 | 3 | Croatia I Majoli | 6 | 3 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Austria J Wiesner | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | Austria B Paulus | 3 | 6 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands K Boogert | 6 | 4 | 2 | 12 | Austria J Wiesner | 7 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Slovakia R Zrubáková | 2 | 6 | 0 | Q | Austria S Dopfer | 6 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Q | Austria S Dopfer | 6 | 0 | 6 | 12 | Austria J Wiesner | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Poland K Nowak | 6 | 6 | 7 | Austria B Paulus | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany C Singer | 3 | 4 | Poland K Nowak | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Austria B Paulus | 6 | 6 |
Bottom half
Section 3
| First round | Second round | Third round | Quarterfinals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | France M Pierce | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany B Rittner | 6 | 6 | Germany B Rittner | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Q | Argentina B Fulco-Villella | 4 | 2 | 5 | France M Pierce | 7 | 2 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Slovakia K Habšudová | 7 | 4 | 6 | Slovakia K Habšudová | 6 | 6 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Austria B Schett | 6 | 6 | 4 | Slovakia K Habšudová | 6 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| United States J Watanabe | 3 | 0 | 9 | Switzerland M Hingis | 3 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Switzerland M Hingis | 6 | 6 | Slovakia K Habšudová | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Japan N Sawamatsu | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | Germany A Huber | 4 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Spain V Ruano-Pascual | 4 | 7 | 3 | 13 | Japan N Sawamatsu | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany P Begerow | 6 | 7 | Germany P Begerow | 4 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Argentina F Labat | 3 | 6 | 13 | Japan N Sawamatsu | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| United States L Lee | 6 | 6 | 4 | Germany A Huber | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Latvia L Neiland | 2 | 2 | United States L Lee | 6 | 5 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Germany A Huber | 3 | 7 | 6 |
Section 4
| First round | Second round | Third round | Quarterfinals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Belarus N Zvereva | 7 | 2 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Romania R Dragomir | 4 | 6 | 6 | Romania R Dragomir | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hungary A Temesvári | 6 | 2 | 3 | Romania R Dragomir | 3 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Q | Madagascar D Randriantefy | 3 | 3 | Russia E Likhovtseva | 6 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia N Bradtke | 6 | 6 | Australia N Bradtke | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Russia E Likhovtseva | 6 | 6 | Russia E Likhovtseva | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Japan A Sugiyama | 3 | 2 | Russia E Likhovtseva | 6 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | France S Testud | 6 | 6 | 2 | Spain A Sánchez Vicario | 3 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| South Africa J Kruger | 1 | 4 | 16 | France S Testud | 6 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia R McQuillan | 4 | 3 | Czech Republic L Richterová | 7 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Czech Republic L Richterová | 6 | 6 | Czech Republic L Richterová | 7 | 3 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| United States M Werdel-Witmeyer | 6 | 6 | 2 | Spain A Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany S Meier | 4 | 4 | United States M Werdel-Witmeyer | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Spain A Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 |