Serena Williams defeated Kim Clijsters in the final, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 2001 Indian Wells Open. This would be the final time Williams would attend the Indian Wells Open until 2015, due to a boycott of the tournament by both Williams sisters in protest of racist remarks by crowd members; Venus Williams would return to the tournament until 2016.
Lindsay Davenport was the defending champion, but lost in the quarterfinals to Serena Williams.
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. All thirty-two seeds received a bye to the second round.
Lindsay Davenport (quarterfinals) Venus Williams (semifinals, withdrew) Monica Seles (second round)
Conchita Martínez (second round)
Mary Pierce (withdrew) Serena Williams (champion)
Elena Dementieva (quarterfinals) Nathalie Tauziat (second round) Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario (third round) Sandrine Testud (third round)
Kim Clijsters (final) Amy Frazier (second round)
Barbara Schett (fourth round) Justine Henin (third round)
Paola Suárez (third round)
Tamarine Tanasugarn (third round) Lisa Raymond (fourth round) Meghann Shaughnessy (third round) Elena Likhovtseva (second round) Nathalie Dechy (fourth round) Magüi Serna (third round)
Anne Kremer (third round) Gala León García (third round) Anne-Gaëlle Sidot (third round) Tatiana Panova (second round)
Ai Sugiyama (fourth round)
Silvia Farina Elia (quarterfinals)