Karolína Plíšková defeated Angelique Kerber in the final, 6–3, 6–1 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 2016 Cincinnati Masters. It was her sixth WTA Tour singles title.The two would play each other three weeks later, in the final of the US Open; Kerber would avenge her loss by beating Plíšková in three sets.^[1]

Serena Williams was the two-time reigning champion, but withdrew before the tournament due to injury.

Kerber was in contention for the world No. 1 ranking, which she would have attained had she won the title.^[2] However, by losing in the final she remained No. 2.^[3]

All seeds received a bye into the second round.

Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.

	Quarterfinals							Semifinals							Final
	15	Karolína Plíšková	6	4	6
	7	Svetlana Kuznetsova	3	6	2
								15	Karolína Plíšková	6	6
								4	Garbiñe Muguruza	1	3
	4	Garbiñe Muguruza	6	6
	Q	Tímea Babos	4	3
															15	Karolína Plíšková	6	6
															2	Angelique Kerber	3	1
	5	Agnieszka Radwańska	5	1
	3	Simona Halep	7	6
								3	Simona Halep	3	4
								2	Angelique Kerber	6	6
	9	Carla Suárez Navarro	6	3	0
	2	Angelique Kerber	4	6	6

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarterfinals
								LL	M Doi	2	6	6
	Q	S Zheng	2	2				WC	C McHale	6	3	4
	WC	C McHale	6	6											LL	M Doi	5	3
		J Ostapenko	1	78	77										15	Ka Plíšková	7	6
		AK Schmiedlová	6	66	65				J Ostapenko	4	1
								15	Ka Plíšková	6	6
																						15	Ka Plíšková	6	4	6
																						7	S Kuznetsova	3	6	2
								12	T Bacsinszky	6	6
	Q	S Zhang	3	3					L Tsurenko	3	0
		L Tsurenko	6	6											12	T Bacsinszky	2	6	2
	Q	A Riske	6	78											7	S Kuznetsova	6	3	6
	Q	V Flink	4	66				Q	A Riske	6	3	1
								7	S Kuznetsova	3	6	6

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarterfinals
								4	G Muguruza	77	6
		S Errani	6	3	4				C Vandeweghe	64	2
		C Vandeweghe	4	6	6										4	G Muguruza	7	6
	LL	V Golubic	4	6	5										16	A Pavlyuchenkova	5	1
	Q	K Nara	6	4	7			Q	K Nara	65	1
								16	A Pavlyuchenkova	77	6
																						4	G Muguruza	6	6
																						Q	T Babos	4	3
								13	B Bencic	5	2
	WC	L Chirico	4	4				Q	T Babos	7	6
	Q	T Babos	6	6											Q	T Babos	4	6	6
	LL	J Larsson	6	4	6										8	D Cibulková	6	3	1
		I-C Begu	3	6	3			LL	J Larsson	77	4	5
								8	D Cibulková	65	6	7

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarterfinals
								5	A Radwańska	6	6
		A Petkovic	6	64	6				A Petkovic	0	1
		L Šafářová	4	77	2										5	A Radwańska	61	6	6
	Q	D Vekić	6	6											10	J Konta	77	4	0
		A Ivanovic	4	2				Q	D Vekić	2	3
								10	J Konta	6	6
																						5	A Radwańska	5	1
																						3	S Halep	7	6
								17	E Svitolina	2	2
		C Garcia	5	3				Q	D Gavrilova	6	6
	Q	D Gavrilova	7	6											Q	D Gavrilova	1	2
	Q	A Beck	6	6											3	S Halep	6	6
		Y Putintseva	2	3				Q	A Beck	3	1
								3	S Halep	6	6

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarterfinals
								6	R Vinci	7	6
	LL	T Pironkova	6	6				LL	T Pironkova	5	3
		D Kasatkina	1	1											6	R Vinci	1	5
	Q	A Cornet	77	6											9	C Suárez Navarro	6	7
		K Bertens	61	3				Q	A Cornet	2	0r
								9	C Suárez Navarro	6	1
																						9	C Suárez Navarro	6	3	0
																						2	A Kerber	4	6	6
								14	S Stosur	611	3
		B Strýcová	6	6					B Strýcová	713	6
	Q	E Bouchard	4	0												B Strýcová	65	4
	Q	K Bondarenko	61	3											2	A Kerber	77	6
		K Mladenovic	77	6					K Mladenovic	0	5
								2	A Kerber	6	7

	First round							Qualifying competition
	1	Misaki Doi	6	69	6
	WC	Jessica Pegula	4	711	3
								1	Misaki Doi	6	65	4
								WC	Varvara Flink	0	77	6
	WC	Varvara Flink	6	6
	22	Çağla Büyükakçay	4	1

	First round							Qualifying competition
	2/WC	Eugenie Bouchard	6	6
		Carina Witthöft	4	1
								2/WC	Eugenie Bouchard	6	6
								21	Viktorija Golubic	4	2
		Lauren Davis	2	4
	21	Viktorija Golubic	6	6

	First round							Qualifying competition
	3	Tímea Babos	6	6
		Evgeniya Rodina	3	4
								3	Tímea Babos	77	5	6
								WC	Jennifer Brady	64	7	3
	WC	Jennifer Brady	6	3	77
	17	Wang Qiang	3	6	64

	First round							Qualifying competition
	4	Annika Beck	6	4	6
		Lara Arruabarrena	1	6	4
								4	Annika Beck	6	6
								24	Tsvetana Pironkova	4	2
		Kateryna Kozlova	78	4	2
	24	Tsvetana Pironkova	66	6	6

	First round							Qualifying competition
	5	Daria Gavrilova	6	6
		Mona Barthel	0	4
								5	Daria Gavrilova	6	6
									Naomi Osaka	4	2
		Naomi Osaka	6	6
	16	Julia Görges	4	4

	First round							Qualifying competition
	6	Yaroslava Shvedova	7	2	67
		Ana Konjuh	5	6	79
									Ana Konjuh	78	2	2
								19	Alison Riske	66	6	6
		Magda Linette	6	4	4
	19	Alison Riske	1	6	6

	First round							Qualifying competition
	7	Alizé Cornet	6	2	6
		Anett Kontaveit	4	6	3
								7	Alizé Cornet	7	3	6
									Sorana Cîrstea	5	6	1
		Sorana Cîrstea	2	6	6
	23	Nao Hibino	6	3	2

	First round							Qualifying competition
	8	Zhang Shuai	6	6
		Samantha Crawford	3	1
								8	Zhang Shuai	6	6
								20	Johanna Larsson	3	3
		Aliaksandra Sasnovich	79	67	1
	20	Johanna Larsson	67	79	6

	First round							Qualifying competition
	9	Anastasija Sevastova	3	64
		Sabine Lisicki	6	77
									Sabine Lisicki	3	2
								15	Zheng Saisai	6	6
		Maria Sakkari	4	3
	15	Zheng Saisai	6	6

	First round							Qualifying competition
	10	Danka Kovinić	2	6	4
	WC	Jamie Loeb	6	1	6
								WC	Jamie Loeb	6	3	2
								14	Kateryna Bondarenko	3	6	6
	WC	Sofia Kenin	1	2
	14	Kateryna Bondarenko	6	6

	First round							Qualifying competition
	11	Varvara Lepchenko	66	64
		Donna Vekić	78	77
									Donna Vekić	6	77
									Mariana Duque Mariño	1	62
		Mariana Duque Mariño	7	6
	13	Kirsten Flipkens	5	4

	First round							Qualifying competition
	12	Monica Niculescu	66	3
		Kurumi Nara	78	6
									Kurumi Nara	6	7
								PR	Karin Knapp	1	5
	PR	Karin Knapp	77	3	6
	18	Camila Giorgi	60	6	4

• "Main Draw" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2016.
• Qualifying Draw

"Event Information". Archived from the original on May 14, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2016.