| As of 8 January 1996 |
| Rk |
Name |
Nation |
| 1 |
Pete Sampras |
USA |
| 2 |
Andre Agassi |
USA |
| 3 |
Thomas Muster |
AUT |
| 4 |
Boris Becker |
GER |
| 5 |
Michael Chang |
USA |
| 6 |
Yevgeny Kafelnikov |
RUS |
| 7 |
Thomas Enqvist |
SWE |
| 8 |
Jim Courier |
USA |
| 9 |
Wayne Ferreira |
RSA |
| 10 |
Goran Ivanišević |
CRO |
| 11 |
Richard Krajicek |
NED |
| 12 |
Sergi Bruguera |
ESP |
| 13 |
Michael Stich |
GER |
| 14 |
Arnaud Boetsch |
FRA |
| 15 |
Marc Rosset |
SUI |
| 16 |
Andrei Medvedev |
UKR |
| 17 |
Todd Martin |
USA |
| 18 |
Paul Haarhuis |
NED |
| 19 |
Gilbert Schaller |
AUT |
| 20 |
Andrea Gaudenzi |
ITA |
|
| Year-end rankings (16 December 1996) |
| Rk |
Name |
Nation |
Points |
High |
Low |
Change |
| 1 |
Pete Sampras |
USA |
4865 |
1 |
3 |
= |
| 2 |
Michael Chang |
USA |
3597 |
2 |
6 |
+3 |
| 3 |
Yevgeny Kafelnikov |
RUS |
3564 |
3 |
8 |
+3 |
| 4 |
Goran Ivanišević |
CRO |
3492 |
4 |
10 |
+6 |
| 5 |
Thomas Muster |
AUT |
3166 |
1 |
6 |
−2 |
| 6 |
Boris Becker |
GER |
2983 |
3 |
7 |
−2 |
| 7 |
Richard Krajicek |
NED |
2380 |
7 |
27 |
+4 |
| 8 |
Andre Agassi |
USA |
2364 |
1 |
9 |
−6 |
| 9 |
Thomas Enqvist |
SWE |
2191 |
6 |
14 |
−2 |
| 10 |
Wayne Ferreira |
RSA |
2149 |
6 |
13 |
−1 |
| 11 |
Marcelo Ríos |
CHI |
2114 |
10 |
24 |
+13 |
| 12 |
Todd Martin |
USA |
2039 |
11 |
22 |
+5 |
| 13 |
Albert Costa |
ESP |
1757 |
13 |
23 |
+10 |
| 14 |
Stefan Edberg |
SWE |
1567 |
14 |
55 |
+16 |
| 15 |
Jan Siemerink |
NED |
1530 |
15 |
38 |
+6 |
| 16 |
Michael Stich |
GER |
1518 |
11 |
21 |
−3 |
| 17 |
Magnus Gustafsson |
SWE |
1515 |
17 |
87 |
+69 |
| 18 |
Félix Mantilla |
ESP |
1505 |
15 |
96 |
+74 |
| 19 |
Alberto Berasategui |
ESP |
1477 |
18 |
50 |
+15 |
| 20 |
MaliVai Washington |
USA |
1472 |
11 |
25 |
+5 |
|