| Singles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 Virginia Slims Championships | ||||
| Final | ||||
| Champion |  Martina Navratilova | |||
| Runner-up |  Evonne Goolagong Cawley | |||
| Score | 7–6(7–5), 6–4 | |||
| Details | ||||
| Draw | 8 | |||
| Seeds | 8 | |||
| Events | ||||
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Martina Navratilova defeatedEvonne Goolagong Cawley in the final, 7–6, 6–4 to win the singles tennis title at the 1978 Virginia Slims Championships. It was her firstTour Finals singles title, and the first of an eventual record eight such titles.
Chris Evert was the reigning champion, but did not qualify this year.
Martina Navratilova (champion)Evonne Goolagong Cawley(final)
Betty Stöve(round robin)
Virginia Wade(round robin)Billie Jean King(round robin)Wendy Turnbull(third place)Rosemary Casals(fourth place)Kerry Reid(round robin)Key
| Final | ||||||
| 1 | Martina Navratilova | 77 | 6 | |||
| 2 | Evonne Goolagong Cawley | 65 | 4 | |||
| Third place play-off | ||||||
| 6 | Wendy Turnbull | 7 | 6 | |||
| 7 | Rosemary Casals | 6 | 3 | |||
| Gold Group | Navratilova | Stöve | Turnbull | Reid | RR W–L | Set W–L | Game W–L | Standings | |
| 1 | Martina Navratilova | 6–2, 6–3 | 6–2, 6–1 | 6–2, 6–3 | 3–0 | 6–0 (100%) | 36–13 (73.5%) |  | |
| 3 | Betty Stöve | 2–6, 3–6 | 4–6, 3–6 | 7–6, 7–6 | 1–2 | 2–4 (33.3%) | 26–36 (42.0%) | 3 | |
| 6 | Wendy Turnbull | 2–6, 1–6 | 6–4, 6–3 | 7–6, 6–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 (66.7%) | 28–26 (51.9%) |  | |
| 8 | Kerry Reid | 2–6, 3–6 | 6–7, 6–7 | 6–7, 1–6 | 0–3 | 0–6 (0.0%) | 24–39 (38.1%) | 4 |
| Orange Group | Goolagong Cawley | Wade | King | Casals | RR W–L | Set W–L | Game W–L | Standings | |
| 2 | E. Goolagong Cawley | 6–0, 7–6 | w/o | 7–6, 6–4 | 3–0 | 4–0 (100%) | 20–16 (55.5%) | | |
| 4 | Virginia Wade | 0–6, 6–7 | 1–6, 6–2, 6–4 | 5–7, 6–3, 0–6 | 1–2 | 3–5 (37.5%) | 30–41 (42.3%) | 3 | |
| 5 | Billie Jean King | w/o | 6–1, 2–6, 4–6 | w/o | 0–3 | 1–2 (33.3%) | 12–13 (48.0%) | 4 | |
| 7 | Rosemary Casals | 6–7, 4–6 | 7–5, 3–6, 6–0 | w/o | 2–1 | 2–3 (40.0%) | 26–24 (52.0%) | |