Martina Hingis defeated Jana Novotná in the final, 2–6, 6–3, 6–3 to win the ladies' singles tennis title at the 1997 Wimbledon Championships.[1] It was her second major singles title. At 16 years and 278 days old, Hingis became the youngest person to win a Wimbledon singles title since Lottie Dod in 1887. It was Novotná's second runner-up finish at Wimbledon.
Steffi Graf was the two-time reigning champion, but did not compete due to injury. This was also the first Wimbledon for future five-time champion Venus Williams.