Álex Corretja defeated Marcelo Ríos in the final, 7–5, 7–5, 6–3 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1997 Italian Open. Thomas Muster was the defending champion, but lost in the second round to Scott Draper.

Seeds

Draw

Finals

Top half

Section 1

Section 2

Bottom half

Section 3

Section 4

Qualifying

Qualifying seeds

• # 🇫🇷 Fabrice Santoro (qualified) • # 🇫🇷 Lionel Roux (qualifying competition) • # 🇪🇸 Albert Portas (qualified) • # 🇪🇸 Emilio Benfele Álvarez (qualified) • # 🇦🇺 Richard Fromberg (first round) • # 🇪🇸 Carlos Costa (first round) • # 🇦🇷 Franco Squillari (qualifying competition) • # 🇩🇪 Nicolas Kiefer (first round) • # 🇫🇷 Jérôme Golmard (qualified) • # 🇩🇪 Martin Sinner (qualifying competition) • # 🇪🇸 Fernando Vicente (qualifying competition) • # Frederik Fetterlein (qualified) • # 🇦🇷 Gastón Etlis (qualifying competition) • # 🇦🇷 Mariano Zabaleta (first round) • # 🇫🇷 Olivier Delaître (first round) • # 🇦🇷 Guillermo Cañas (first round)

Qualifiers

• # 🇫🇷 Fabrice Santoro • # 🇮🇹 Davide Sanguinetti • # 🇪🇸 Albert Portas • # 🇪🇸 Emilio Benfele Álvarez • # Frederik Fetterlein • # 🇮🇹 Daniele Musa • # 🇫🇷 Jérôme Golmard • # 🇮🇹 Davide Scala

Qualifying draw

First qualifier

Second qualifier

Third qualifier

Fourth qualifier

Fifth qualifier

Sixth qualifier

Seventh qualifier

Eighth qualifier