2016 BNP Paribas Open – Women's singles

Victoria Azarenka defeated Serena Williams in the final, 6–4, 6–4 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 2016 Indian Wells Masters. It was her second Indian Wells title.

Simona Halep was the defending champion, but lost in the quarterfinals to Serena Williams.

This edition of the tournament marked Venus Williams' return to the tournament for the first time since 2001; she had boycotted the event in protest of racist remarks surrounding her withdrawal from the 2001 semifinal against Serena.

Seeds
All seeds received a bye into the second round.

• 🇺🇸 Serena Williams (final)

• 🇩🇪 Angelique Kerber (second round)

• 🇵🇱 Agnieszka Radwańska (semifinals)

• 🇪🇸 Garbiñe Muguruza (second round)

• 🇷🇴 Simona Halep (quarterfinals)

• 🇪🇸 Carla Suárez Navarro (withdrew because of a right ankle injury)

• Belinda Bencic (third round)

• 🇨🇿 Petra Kvitová (quarterfinals)

• 🇮🇹 Roberta Vinci (fourth round, retired due to a left ankle injury)

• 🇺🇸 Venus Williams (second round)

• 🇨🇿 Lucie Šafářová (second round)

•  Timea Bacsinszky (fourth round)

• 🇧🇾 Victoria Azarenka (champion)

• 🇷🇸 Ana Ivanovic (third round)

• 🇮🇹 Sara Errani (second round)

• 🇷🇺 Svetlana Kuznetsova (second round)

• 🇺🇦 Elina Svitolina (third round)

• 🇨🇿 Karolína Plíšková (semifinals)

• 🇷🇸 Jelena Janković (fourth round)

•  Caroline Wozniacki (second round)

• 🇺🇸 Sloane Stephens (second round)

• 🇩🇪 Andrea Petkovic (second round)

• 🇺🇸 Madison Keys (second round)

• 🇷🇺 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (second round)

• 🇬🇧 Johanna Konta (fourth round)

• 🇦🇺 Samantha Stosur (fourth round)

• 🇫🇷 Kristina Mladenovic (second round)

• 🇸🇰 Anna Karolína Schmiedlová (second round)

• 🇩🇪 Sabine Lisicki (second round)

• 🇷🇺 Ekaterina Makarova (third round)

• 🇦🇺 Daria Gavrilova (second round)

• 🇷🇴 Monica Niculescu (third round)

Seeds
• # 🇩🇪 Anna-Lena Friedsam (qualifying competition, lucky loser)

• # 🇨🇳 Zheng Saisai (qualifying competition)

• # 🇺🇦 Kateryna Bondarenko (qualified)

• # Hsieh Su-wei (first round)

• # 🇧🇪 Kirsten Flipkens (qualifying competition)

• # Ana Konjuh (first round)

• # 🇩🇪 Laura Siegemund (qualified)

• # 🇯🇵 Kurumi Nara (qualified)

• # 🇷🇺 Elena Vesnina (first round)

• # 🇪🇪 Anett Kontaveit (qualifying competition)

• # Anastasija Sevastova (qualifying competition)

• # Donna Vekić (qualified)

• # 🇧🇾 Aliaksandra Sasnovich (qualified)

• # 🇨🇿 Kristýna Plíšková (qualified)

• # 🇷🇺 Evgeniya Rodina (first round)

• # 🇺🇸 Nicole Gibbs (qualified)

• # 🇯🇵 Naomi Osaka (qualifying competition)

• # 🇵🇱 Magda Linette (first round)

• # 🇪🇸 Lourdes Domínguez Lino (qualifying competition)

• # Kiki Bertens (qualified)

• # 🇨🇿 Kateřina Siniaková (qualified)

• # 🇨🇿 Klára Koukalová (first round)

• # 🇺🇸 Anna Tatishvili (first round)

• # 🇫🇷 Pauline Parmentier (qualified)

Qualifiers
• # 🇺🇸 Nicole Gibbs

• # 🇫🇷 Pauline Parmentier

• # 🇺🇦 Kateryna Bondarenko

• # 🇨🇿 Kristýna Plíšková

• # 🇧🇾 Aliaksandra Sasnovich

• # Kiki Bertens

• # 🇩🇪 Laura Siegemund

• # 🇯🇵 Kurumi Nara

• # 🇨🇿 Kateřina Siniaková

• # 🇯🇵 Risa Ozaki

• # 🇺🇸 Taylor Townsend

• # Donna Vekić

Lucky losers

 * 1) 🇩🇪 Anna-Lena Friedsam