Mark Williams considering surgery as vision deteriorates but fears the worst

2023 Cazoo British Open - Day 7
Mark Williams is keeping an eye on his vision (Picture: Getty Images)

Mark Williams is weighing up corrective surgery on his eyes as his vision deteriorates, but worries about the operation going wrong and ending his immense career.

The Welshman is still going very strong at 48 years old, winning the British Open earlier this month, having reached the Championship League final at the start of the season.

Ranked number nine in the world, there is little wrong with his game, but he does feel like the consequences of ageing are creeping up on him, firstly in terms of stamina, but also with his eyesight.

The three-time world champion says things have got noticeably worse in recent months, but as long as he continues playing well he will not take any drastic measures, concerned about risks involved.

‘My eyesight is nowhere near as good as it used to be. that’s declined over the last 18 months and is getting worse every six months or so,’ Williams told . ‘I’ve got glasses now and when I put them on it’s unbelievable, I can see everything and that’s when I realise how bad my eyes actually are.

‘I was thinking about getting my eyes lasered this year and the only reason I haven’t is because I’m still playing to a decent standard.

‘Not everything is successful when you do things with your eyes. It’s just in case something didn’t go well and then that’s the end of your career, really. I’ll keep evaluating it every year and maybe get it done at some point.

2023 Cazoo British Open - Day 7
Williams brilliantly claimed the British Open title at the start of October (Picture: Getty Images)

‘When I put my glasses on and look at the table it’s unbelievable. The balls looks like footballs, the cloth is lovely green, I can see the pockets clearly. When I take them off I can’t even see the nets of the pockets.

‘If two balls are close together, I can’t see if one goes past the other. On long shots I’m pretty much guessing, but I’m guessing alright at the minute so I don’t want to do anything about it yet.’