Overseas players were granted a limited exemption from Hong Kong's COVID-19 regulations, enabling them to travel between the venue and their hotel without quarantining.

Hong Kong native Marco Fu had taken time away from the sport after undergoing eye surgery in 2017, and then did not compete professionally for over two years following the 2020 Welsh Open, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

However, he defeated Mark Selby 5–2 in the quarter-finals and made the fifth maximum break of his career in the deciding frame of his semi-final against John Higgins.

The highest of the 18 century breaks made during the event, Fu's 147 marked the seventh time in snooker history that a player won a deciding frame with a maximum.

The Hong Kong Masters is a professional snooker competition that was first held in 1983; the inaugural champion was Doug Mountjoy.

It was also the first professional snooker tournament played outside Europe, as well as the first major sporting event held in Hong Kong, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[4] Overseas players were granted a limited exemption from Hong Kong's COVID-19 regulations, enabling them to travel between the venue and their hotel without quarantining.

[2] Zhao Xintong was forced to withdraw after he tested positive for COVID-19 and was replaced in the draw by Mark Williams, the next eligible player according to the invitation criteria.

Marco Fu had taken time away from the sport after undergoing eye surgery in 2017,[10] and then did not compete professionally for over two years after the 2020 Welsh Open due to COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions.

Fu admitted that he had considered retirement during his prolonged absences from the professional tour, but said he was "delighted to be back playing to a decent standard".

[13] Following Zhao's withdrawal, his replacement Williams made a last-minute trip to Hong Kong to face defending champion Neil Robertson.

[15] Williams stated afterwards that he knew he could not win the match under such conditions, but had travelled to the tournament because of the prize money on offer.

Although Fu won the sixth with a 98 break, O'Sullivan responded with a 105 century in the seventh to move within one frame of victory.

In the eighth frame, O'Sullivan seemed to be on the verge of winning, but missed a shot on the pink into the yellow pocket, allowing Fu to make a frame-winning clearance, helped by a cross-double on the final blue.