The 1996 Italian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 53rd edition of the Rome Masters and was part of the Mercedes Super 9 of the 1996 ATP Tour and of Tier I of the 1996 WTA Tour. Both the men's and women's events took place at the Foro Italico in Rome in Italy. The women's tournament was played from May 6 through May 12, 1996, while the men's tournament was played from May 13 through May 19, 1996.
The men's tournament was headlined by ATP No. 2, Monte Carlo, Estoril, Acapulco and Barcelona champion Thomas Muster, Zagreb, Dubai, Milan, Rotterdam titlist and Key Biscayne runner-up Goran Ivanišević and Adelaide winner, St. Petersburg and Rotterdam finalist Yevgeny Kafelnikov. Also present were Chennai winner Thomas Enqvist, Philadelphia champion Jim Courier, Wayne Ferreira, Marcelo Ríos and Sergi Bruguera.
The women's field was led by WTA No. 1, Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, Berlin champion and WTA Tour Championships defending champion Steffi Graf, Indian Wells, Hamburg runner-up and Australian Open quarterfinalist Conchita Martínez and Hilton Head winner and Wimbledon runner-up Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. Also competing were Tokyo winner Iva Majoli, Magdalena Maleeva, Martina Hingis, Irina Spîrlea and Nathalie Tauziat.[1]
See main article: 1996 Italian Open – Men's singles. 
Thomas Muster defeated Richard Krajicek 6–2, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3
See main article: 1996 Italian Open – Women's singles. 
Conchita Martínez defeated Martina Hingis 6–2, 6–3
See main article: 1996 Italian Open – Men's doubles. Byron Black / 
Grant Connell defeated 
Libor Pimek / Byron Talbot 6–2, 6–3
See main article: 1996 Italian Open – Women's doubles. Arantxa Sánchez Vicario / Irina Spîrlea defeated 
Gigi Fernández / Martina Hingis 6–4, 3–6, 6–3