Li Na
Chinese professional tennis player, 1999–2014
The task of finally making a decision to hang up my racquet felt a lot more difficult than winning seven matches in a row in the Australian heat. It took me several agonizing months to finally come to the decision that my chronic injuries will never again let me be the tennis player that I can be. Walking away from the sport, effective immediately, is the right decision for me and my family.
Recorded
Open letter, 'My dear friends', WTA (archived), 19 September 2014
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Kobe Bryant
United States basketball player, Los Angeles Lakers, 1996–2016
You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream
And I'll always love you for it.
But I can't love you obsessively for much longer.
This season is all I have left to give.
My heart can take the pounding
My mind can handle the grind
But my body knows it's time to say goodbye.
Recorded
Retirement poem, The Players' Tribune, 29 November 2015
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Dan Carter
New Zealand international rugby union fly-half, 2003–2015
But I'm ready for what's next after rugby. Being able to not just say that, but to truly feel it, is a privilege. Ultimately, getting to leave your sport on your own terms is all you can really hope for as an athlete.
Recorded
Retirement letter, The Players' Tribune, 20 February 2021
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