1997 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's singles
# 1997 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's singles

The 1997 World Table Tennis Championships men's singles was the 44th edition of the men's singles championship.

Jan-Ove Waldner defeated Vladimir Samsonov in the final, winning three sets to nil to secure the title.

## Results

| Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kong Linghui | 21 | 22 | 17 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Werner Schlager | 16 | 20 | 21 | 18 | | Kong Linghui | 16 | 22 | 14 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | |
| Ma Wenge | 21 | 21 | 17 | 21 | | Ma Wenge | 21 | 20 | 21 | 15 | 12 | | | | | | | | | |
| Hiroshi Shibutani | 19 | 17 | 21 | 17 | | | | | | | | Kong Linghui | 15 | 18 | 21 | 17 | | | | |
| Ding Song | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | Samsonov | 21 | 21 | 17 | 21 | | | | |
| Milan Grman | 19 | 14 | 9 | | | Ding Song | 13 | 9 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Wang Liqin | 16 | 21 | 22 | 19 | | Samsonov | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Vladimir Samsonov | 21 | 10 | 24 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Samsonov | 12 | 17 | 13 |
| He Zhiwen | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Waldner | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Lucjan Błaszczyk | 12 | 18 | 16 | | | He Zhiwen | 19 | 21 | 13 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Johnny Huang | 17 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 18 | Yan Sen | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Yan Sen | 21 | 20 | 16 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | Yan Sen | 17 | 14 | 12 | | | | | |
| Wang Tao | 19 | 17 | 17 | | | | | | | | | Waldner | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | |
| Jean-Philippe Gatien | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | Gatien | 7 | 20 | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Zoran Primorac | 16 | 13 | 13 | | | Waldner | 21 | 22 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jan-Ove Waldner | 21 | 21 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
