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Less than two years after becoming just the third player to rush for 2,000 yards, Barry Sanders faxed a letter to his hometown newspaper, the Wichita Eagle, announcing his retirement. He was 29.

In just seven NHL seasons, Ken Dryden won six Stanley Cups and won the Vezina Trophy five times. He retired at the end of the 1978-79 season at the age of 32.

Years of back pain and a bout with Hodgkin's disease in 1993 forced Mario Lemieux into an early retirement at the age of 32 in 1997. He would un-retire three years later in 2000 before a heart ailment forced him to hang up the skates for good in 2006.

During his brief but dominant career, Bjorn Borg won 41 per cent of the Grand Slam singles tournaments he entered (11 of 27). In January 1983 he announced that he was retiring at the age of 26. His rival and friend, John McEnroe, tried unsuccessfully to persuade him to continue.

After a physical before the 1991–92 NBA season, Magic Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for HIV. In a press conference held on Nov. 7, 1991, Johnson announced that he was retiring immediately from the NBA at age 32.

Michael Jordan stunned the sports world in 1993 when he walked away from basketball after just winning his third straight NBA title. At the time, he cited a loss of desire to play and the murder of his father earlier in the year as factors. He returned to the Bulls in 1995.

Sandy Koufax was named the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1963. He also won the 1963, 1965, and 1966 Cy Young Awards by unanimous votes before arthritis ended his career at age 30.

In 118 career NFL games over just nine seasons, Jim Brown averaged 104.3 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry, tops all-time. He left football at age 29 to pursue an acting career.

On 14 May 2008, Justine Henin announced her immediate retirement from professional tennis. She was 25-years-old and ranked World No. 1 at the time. In September 2009 she announced her intention to return to the WTA Tour for the 2010 season.

On December 12, 2009 Tiger Woods announced he was taking an indefinite leave from golf in order to work on his marriage following revelations of his infidelities.

The Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig, was just 36-years-old when the disease that now bears his name forced him to retire in 1939. His 2,130 consecutive games played streak ended only when he became disabled by the fatal disease.