The 2017–18 season saw Marco Fu getting off to another difficult start, as he could not reach the quarter final of any ranking event before the turn of the year. Two weeks after suffering a 0–6 defeat against Ronnie O'Sullivan in the first round of the Masters, Fu revealed that he had undergone laser eye surgery in December to treat retinal degeneration and floaters in his dominant left eye. Fu indicated he regretted taking part in the Masters while still recovering from the surgery. He also announced that he would not enter any more tournaments before making a full recovery and regaining his old level in training. He made his return at the 2018 World Snooker Championship where he lost to Lyu Haotian 10–5.