# 1997 BellSouth Open – Singles

Jiří Novák was the defending champion but lost in the semifinals to Kenneth Carlsen.
Jonas Björkman won in the final 7–6$^{(7–0)}$, 6–0 against Carlsen.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Marcelo Ríos (quarterfinals)
* n/a
* Alberto Berasategui (second round)
* Àlex Corretja (first round)
* Hernán Gumy (quarterfinals)
* Chris Woodruff (second round)
* Greg Rusedski (first round)
* Martin Damm (first round)

## 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
| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | M Ríos | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Alami | 2 | 3 | | 1 | M Ríos | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Tarango | 4 | 6 | 6 | | J Tarango | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | S Downs | 6 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | 1 | M Ríos | 6 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Q | M Ondruska | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | Q | M Ondruska | 0 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | |
| Q | D Caldwell | 1 | 1 | | Q | M Ondruska | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Kučera | 6 | 6 | | | K Kučera | 6 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | M Damm | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | Q | M Ondruska | 1 | 1 | | | |
| 4 | À Corretja | 7$^7$ | 6$^5$ | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | J Björkman | 6 | 6 | | | |
| | C Ruud | 6$^5$ | 7$^7$ | 6 | | C Ruud | 0 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Björkman | 6 | 6 | | | J Björkman | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Costa | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | J Björkman | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Schalken | 2 | 6$^7$ | | | | | | | Q | J-M Gambill | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | J-M Gambill | 6 | 7$^9$ | | Q | J-M Gambill | 5 | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Karbacher | 5 | 4 | | 6 | C Woodruff | 7 | 2 | 6$^2$ | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | C Woodruff | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jonas Björkman | 7$^7$ | 6 |
| 5 | H Gumy | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Kenneth Carlsen | 6$^0$ | 0 |
| | T Carbonell | 5 | 2 | | 5 | H Gumy | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | N Kulti | 6 | 6 | | | N Kulti | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Stark | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | 5 | H Gumy | 4 | 6$^5$ | | | | | | | | |
| WC | A Hunt | 6 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | K Carlsen | 6 | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | | |
| | K Carlsen | 4 | 6 | 6 | | K Carlsen | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | R Carretero | 4 | 6 | 5 | 3 | A Berasategui | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | A Berasategui | 6 | 3 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | K Carlsen | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | |
| 7 | G Rusedski | 6 | 3 | 6$^5$ | | | | | | | | | | | | J Novák | 6$^5$ | 4 | | | |
| | A Rădulescu | 2 | 6 | 7$^7$ | | A Rădulescu | 7$^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | T Larkham | 2 | 1 | | | T Johansson | 6$^5$ | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Johansson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | A Rădulescu | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | J Novák | 3 | 7$^7$ | 7$^7$ | | | | | | | J Novák | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Draper | 6 | 6$^1$ | 6$^3$ | | J Novák | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | B Steven | 7 | 4 | 3 | LL | C Mamiit | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| LL | C Mamiit | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |