When can I play contact sports after PRK?

There is no published date for returning to contact sports after PRK, so your surgeon sets it. What the sources do tell you is the structural difference from LASIK.

PRK creates no corneal flap. StatPearls describes PRK as surface ablation with the epithelium removed and the stroma reshaped directly, with no flap made. That removes the long term worry about a flap being displaced by a hit to the eye, which is a common reason boxers, martial artists, military members, and contact sport athletes are steered toward PRK in the first place.

The short term is still fragile. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says to avoid strenuous activity for up to a week because it can slow healing, and StatPearls puts re-epithelialization at about 3 to 5 days. A finger, elbow, or ball to a recently healed cornea in the first weeks is a real problem. Most people return in stages, non contact drills first, then full contact once cleared, and protective eyewear is worth using regardless.