Roberto Carretero defeated Àlex Corretja in the final, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 to win the singles tennis title at the 1996 Hamburg European Open.

Andriy Medvedev was the defending champion, but lost in the second round to Jordi Burillo.^[1]

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.

	Semifinals							Final
	Q	Roberto Carretero	7	6
	3	Yevgeny Kafelnikov	5	2
								Q	Roberto Carretero	2	6	6	6
									Àlex Corretja	6	4	4	4
	5	Marcelo Ríos	4	4
		Àlex Corretja	6	6

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarterfinals
								1	B Becker	6	3	6
	Q	E Benfele Álvarez	7	712				Q	E Benfele Álvarez	2	6	3
	WC	N Kiefer	5	610											1	B Becker	2	2
	Q	A Olhovskiy	6	62	79										16	G Schaller	6	6
		M Knowles	3	77	67			Q	A Olhovskiy	5	6	67
	Q	V Sendin	2	0				16	G Schaller	7	3	79
	16	G Schaller	6	6																		16	G Schaller	6	4	4
	10	M Washington	7	6																		Q	R Carretero	4	6	6
		F Clavet	5	2				10	M Washington	1	0
		J Arrese	3	7	62			Q	R Carretero	6	6
	Q	R Carretero	6	5	77										Q	R Carretero	6	6
		B Karbacher	6	6											7	A Boetsch	4	1
		B Ulihrach	4	1					B Karbacher	6	5	64
								7	A Boetsch	4	7	77

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarterfinals
								3	Y Kafelnikov	6	77
		S Pescosolido	68	6	77				S Pescosolido	2	62
	WC	G Forget	710	4	60										3	Y Kafelnikov	6	2	6
		S Schalken	3	4												C Moyá	3	6	4
		C Moyá	6	6					C Moyá	6	6
		H Gumy	6	65	6				H Gumy	4	4
	13	J Siemerink	4	77	3																	3	Y Kafelnikov	6	77
	11	A Medvedev	6	7																		6	S Bruguera	2	65
		T Carbonell	2	5				11	A Medvedev	3	4
		J Burillo	3	6	77				J Burillo	6	6
		P Haarhuis	6	4	64											J Burillo	2	65
	Q	F Roig	6	7											6	S Bruguera	6	77
		S Matsuoka	1	5				Q	F Roig	2	5
								6	S Bruguera	6	7

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarterfinals
								5	M Ríos	6	6
		A Voinea	6	6					A Voinea	2	1
		D Prinosil	4	3											5	M Ríos	6	6
		K Kučera	4	4												C Doseděl	3	4
		C Doseděl	6	6					C Doseděl	7	6
		J Sánchez	4	1				12	C Pioline	5	1
	12	C Pioline	6	6																		5	M Ríos	3	6	6
	14	R Krajicek	77	2	6																	4	W Ferreira	6	4	4
	Q	M Zillner	64	6	1			14	R Krajicek	63	77	6
		M-K Goellner	67	6	6				M-K Goellner	77	65	4
		D Rikl	79	4	0										14	R Krajicek	4	3
		D Vacek	6	6											4	W Ferreira	6	6
		H Dreekmann	3	2					D Vacek	2	0
								4	W Ferreira	6	6

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarterfinals
								8	M Rosset	6	6
		J Hlasek	3	4				WC	O Gross	2	1
	WC	O Gross	6	6											8	M Rosset	3	2
		A Volkov	4	5												À Corretja	6	6
		À Corretja	6	7					À Corretja	6	6
	WC	P Kühnen	3	0				9	A Costa	2	1
	9	A Costa	6	6																			À Corretja	6	6
	15	C Costa	3	1r																			M Larsson	2	0
		A Berasategui	6	4					A Berasategui	65	7	4
		M Larsson	6	6					M Larsson	77	5	6
	WC	J Renzenbrink	4	2												M Larsson	6	6
		C-U Steeb	6	6												C-U Steeb	2	0
	Q	K Tiilikainen	4	3					C-U Steeb	6	6
								2	G Ivanišević	3	4

• Official results archive (ATP)
• Official results archive (ITF)