# 1997 Japan Open Tennis Championships – Men's singles

Pete Sampras was the defending champion, but did not participate.
Richard Krajicek won the title, defeating Lionel Roux 6–2, 3–6, 6–1 in the final.

## Seeds

The top eight seeds received a bye into the second round.
* Richard Krajicek (champion)
* Boris Becker (third round)
* Marc Rosset (third round)
* Todd Woodbridge (quarterfinals)
* Thomas Johansson (semifinals)
* Patrick Rafter (semifinals)
* Martin Damm (quarterfinals)
* David Prinosil (quarterfinals)
* Daniel Vacek (first round)
* Jonathan Stark (third round)
* Alex Rădulescu (first round)
* Mikael Tillström (second round)
* Mark Woodforde (quarterfinals)
* Jeff Tarango (third round)
* Magnus Norman (third round)
* Lionel Roux (final)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* Alt = Alternate
* SE = Special exempt
* PR = Protected ranking
* ITF = ITF entry
* JE = Junior exempt
* w/o = Walkover
* r = Retired
* d = Defaulted
* SR = Special ranking

### Finals

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Richard Krajicek | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | David Prinosil | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | David Prinosil | 4 | 3 | 1 | Richard Krajicek | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | 6 | Patrick Rafter | 6$^5$ | 3 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Todd Woodbridge | 4 | 6$^3$ | 6 | Patrick Rafter | 6$^5$ | 3 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Patrick Rafter | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Patrick Rafter | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | 1 | Richard Krajicek | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | 16 | Lionel Roux | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 5 | Thomas Johansson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 16 | Lionel Roux | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 13 | Mark Woodforde | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Mark Woodforde | 3 | 4 | 5 | Thomas Johansson | 6 | 5 | 3 | | | | | |
| | | | | 16 | Lionel Roux | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| 7 | Martin Damm | 3 | 1 | 16 | Lionel Roux | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| 16 | Lionel Roux | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 1 | R Krajicek | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Pavel | 4 | 4 | | | N Godwin | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Godwin | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | R Krajicek | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| | F Wibier | 4 | 6$^4$ | | | | | | | 15 | M Norman | 5 | 0 | | | | | |
| | J Gimelstob | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | J Gimelstob | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Paes | 6$^4$ | 1 | | 15 | M Norman | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | M Norman | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | R Krajicek | 6 | 6 |
| 10 | J Stark | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | D Prinosil | 4 | 3 |
| | O Stanoytchev | 3 | 6 | 1 | 10 | J Stark | 4 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | F Fetterlein | 3 | 6 | 6 | | F Fetterlein | 6 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Motomura | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | 10 | J Stark | 7$^7$ | 6$^6$ | 5 | | | | |
| | D Flach | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | 8 | D Prinosil | 6$^4$ | 7$^8$ | 7 | | | | |
| | J Golmard | 6 | 6 | | | J Golmard | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | D Prinosil | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 4 | T Woodbridge | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | T Shimada | 2 | 2 | | | R Sabău | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Sabău | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 4 | T Woodbridge | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| WC | T Suzuki | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 14 | J Tarango | 5 | 2 | | | | |
| | A Thoms | 4 | 2 | | WC | T Suzuki | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Winnink | 3 | 2 | | 14 | J Tarango | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | J Tarango | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | T Woodbridge | 4 | 6$^3$ |
| 12 | M Tillström | 7$^7$ | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | P Rafter | 6 | 7$^7$ |
| | K Ullyett | 6$^3$ | 5 | | 12 | M Tillström | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | H Holm | 4 | 6 | 7 | | H Holm | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | M Joyce | 6 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | H Holm | 1 | 2 | | | | |
| | L Jönsson | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | 6 | P Rafter | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | E Ran | 6 | 6 | | | E Ran | 0 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | P Rafter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### Section 3

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 5 | T Johansson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Škoch | 1 | 7$^7$ | 3 | | D Nestor | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Nestor | 6 | 6$^2$ | 6 | | | | | | 5 | T Johansson | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| WC | H Kaneko | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | S Matsuoka | 2 | 2 | | | | |
| | T El-Sawy | 1 | 1 | | WC | H Kaneko | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Matsuoka | 7$^7$ | 6$^3$ | 6 | | S Matsuoka | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | A Rădulescu | 6$^0$ | 7$^7$ | 4 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | T Johansson | 6 | 6 |
| 13 | M Woodforde | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 13 | M Woodforde | 3 | 4 |
| WC | S Iwabuchi | 1 | 3 | | 13 | M Woodforde | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Sinner | 6 | 6 | | | M Sinner | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Olhovskiy | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | 13 | M Woodforde | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | T Nydahl | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | 3 | M Rosset | 2 | 3 | | | | |
| Q | A Richardson | 3 | 6 | 6 | Q | A Richardson | 6$^6$ | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 3 | M Rosset | 7$^8$ | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 7 | M Damm | 7 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | R Smith | 7$^7$ | 3 | 3 | Q | O Delaître | 5 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | O Delaître | 6$^5$ | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 7 | M Damm | 7$^7$ | 7 | | | | | |
| WC | Y Yamamoto | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | A Cherkasov | 6$^2$ | 5 | | | | | |
| Q | C Arriens | 6 | 7 | | Q | C Arriens | 1 | 6 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Cherkasov | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | A Cherkasov | 6 | 4 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | D Vacek | 3 | 6$^3$ | | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | M Damm | 3 | 1 |
| 16 | L Roux | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 16 | L Roux | 6 | 6 |
| Q | D Adams | 1 | 4 | | 16 | L Roux | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J Grabb | 3 | 2 | | | J-P Fleurian | 6$^3$ | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J-P Fleurian | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 16 | L Roux | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | S Lareau | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 2 | B Becker | 6 | 3 | 1 | | | | |
| | S Simian | 3 | 2 | | | S Lareau | 2 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | B Becker | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |