17 Athletes Who Retired, then Unretired, from Their Sports

Serena Williams is just one of many athletes who walked away from professional competition, only to change their minds (multiple times, for some!)

To excel at the highest level of professional sports, you have to be singularly dedicated to the game. So it's no wonder that life on the other side of retirement isn't as exciting as some of these athletes might have imagined.

Serena Williams is just the latest athlete to decide retirement wasn't for her, announcing her return to tennis after four years off the court. Joining her in the club of A-list athletes who couldn't stay away from their sport are Michael Jordan, Tom Brady and Michael Phelps, as well as fellow Olympians including Dara Torres and even her own sister, Venus Williams.

Ahead, check out some of the athletes who have retired from their respective sports, only to un-retire a few years later —including more than a few who did it more than once.

01 of 17

Serena Williams

There wasn't a dry eye in Arthur Ashe stadium in Sept. 2022 when tennis legend Serena Williams played what was purported to be her last match in the game she had dominated for decades. The star had previously announced that she would be "evolving away" from the game in pursuit of entrepreneurial projects and other passions.

After four years of rumors that she'd be professionally picking up her racquet again, the WTA announced on June 1 that the 23-time Grand Slam singles winner had received one of the two available wild cards to play doubles in the 500 Queen’s Club event in London, taking place from June 15-23 this year.

"Serena is one of the greatest athletes of all-time, with a legacy that extends far beyond the court," said WTA chair Valerie Camillo. "Her return is an expression of her passion for competition, and I cannot wait to see her face a new generation of top players."

02 of 17

Michael Jordan

After winning three back-to-back NBA Championships with the Chicago Bulls between 1991 and 1993, Michael Jordan stunned fans when he announced he would be retiring from basketball in October 1993 … and would begin a new sports career in Minor League Baseball.

Jordan's father had been murdered in a robbery in 1993, and one of his dreams for Jordan had been to pursue baseball, which might have informed his decision. When asked in an interview years later if he felt he'd made the right choice, he said, "I never regret it. I think at that time in my life I needed that break because I lost the desire for what the game represented … I would say I was lost, not burnt out, because I still had a strong passion for the game. I watched it with a strong passion. I was lost in the midst of so much things going [on] around the game."

His baseball career didn't pan out as he hoped, and Jordan would make a comeback to the NBA two years later in 1995, announcing his return in a now iconic two-word press release that simply stated, "I'm back." He led the Bulls to another three-peat before he announced, once again, that he was retiring in 1999.

Ever competitive, the basketball legend couldn't stay away and was back as a member of the Washington Wizards in 2001. He would hang up his jersey after two seasons with the team in 2003.

03 of 17

Tom Brady

A longtime quarterback for the New England Patriots, fans saw Tom Brady's 2020 exit from the team as truly the end of an era. The football star had won six championships with the team, and was named MVP of the Super Bowl four times. He headed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that same year, where he led the team to a Super Bowl Championship in 2021, snagging his seventh ring.

Wanting to exit on a high, Brady announced he would be leaving the league in 2022.

"This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore," Brady wrote in his official retirement announcement. "I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention."

In an unprecedented move, the star athlete un-retired merely two months later, but officially bowed out exactly a year later, after a dismal final season with the Buccaneers in 2023. (To add insult to injury, some speculated that his un-retirement led to his eventual divorce from wife Gisele Bündchen.)

04 of 17

Kim Clijsters

In 2007, Kim Clijsters decided to hang her racquet up after nearly 10 years; she had gone pro at only 14. The Belgian superstar would take two years away from the court to focus on starting a family, welcoming her first child, daughter Jada Elle, in 2008.

Clijsters came out of retirement in 2009 and would go on to win the US Open as an unranked wildcard that year.

"If I would write a story about my 2009 US Open victory, the story would be emotional," she told the International Tennis Hall of Fame. "It was a very emotional two weeks. I felt very clear on how I wanted to be as a tennis player, [but] personally, there was a lot of unsolved emotions. Just trying to balance motherhood and not knowing if I was doing the right thing for our family."

She would nab three Grand Slam titles before retiring again in 2012. She came back again in 2020, and retired a third time in 2022.

05 of 17

Michael Phelps

After snagging eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics and adding four more (and two silver) in 2012, Michael Phelps decided it was time to call it quits on his professional career as a swimmer. However, the call of the water was too strong and Phelps was back competing in 2014.

He would officially retire his famous butterfly after competing at the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics, where he tacked on five more gold medals (and a silver) — making him the most decorated Olympian ever. Worth it!

06 of 17

Caroline Wozniacki

Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki revealed that it was time for her to step away from the sport in 2020 and focus on "things away from tennis that I want to do more." In a 2019 post shared to Instagram, the then-29-year-old noted that "This has nothing to do with my health and this isn't a goodbye," per ESPN, and she meant it.

She was back on the courts in June 2023, sharing on X that she “still had goals” she wanted to accomplish — and that she wanted to show her children that you can always “pursue your dreams.” She completed the WTA Tour through 2024 with some success, but stepped away after not making it to the final 16 at that year's US Open, and in 2025, revealed she was expecting a third child.

07 of 17

Earvin 'Magic' Johnson

Back in 1991, Magic Johnson shocked fans the world over when he announced he would be retiring from his role as a Laker after having contracted HIV.

"I just want to say that I'm gonna miss playing and I will now become a spokesman for the HIV virus because I want young people to realize that they can practice safe sex. Sometimes you're a little naive about it and you think it can never happen to you," he said in his announcement. "I'm gonna go on. I'm gonna beat it. So thank you again and I'll see you soon."

Fans did indeed see the beloved Laker soon. He came out of retirement to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, where he won MVP and would be a key player in the Olympic Gold-winning team dubbed "The Dream Team." He retired once more, but then came back in the 1996 regular season where he played 32 games before walking away for good.

08 of 17

Martina Hingis

Perhaps one of the more popular comeback stories in tennis, Martina Hingis first retired at 22 years old back in 2003, owing to some persistent ankle and hip injuries. The tennis player would come back in 2005 and snagged an Australian Open trophy with mixed doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi.

She retired again in 2007 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame while away. But that retirement didn't stick either. By 2015, she was back in action as a doubles player and would go on to win ten more major doubles and mixed doubles titles between 2015 and 2017.

She finally hung up her racquet in October of 2017.

09 of 17

Rob Gronkowski

After an impressive nine seasons with the New England Patriots, Rob Gronkowski left the team to focus on his overall well-being back in 2019. The powerhouse tight end then un-retired during the 2020 season to reunite with Brady, playing for the Buccaneers for two seasons. He left the team and stepped away from the sport in 2022.

In 2025, Gronk signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Patriots in order to officially retire as a member of the Patriots organization, as he had promised his longtime friend and charity partner, Susan Hurley, who died of cancer that November.

10 of 17

Brett Favre

Like some of his peers, Brett Favre also retired three times from football. The famed quarterback played for the Green Bay Packers for 16 seasons before he announced he'd be leaving the NFL in March 2008. That retirement was short-lived, however, as he was back on the field just five months later, and was sent to the New York Jets.

He played for that team for one season, before announcing a second retirement in February 2009. Six months after that, Favre made a second comeback, playing for the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons before he retired a third and final time in January 2011.

11 of 17

Deion Sanders

Following rumors that Deion Sanders was unhappy about the coaching switch at the (now) Washington Commanders back in 2001, the noted wide receiver shocked fans and teammates alike when he announced his retirement from the team shortly before he was supposed to report to camp.

"In my discussions with [agent] Eugene Parker, it was evident from his comments that Deion Sanders did not want to play football,” coach Marty Schottenheimer said at the time. “With that understanding, both parties have reached a mutually beneficial agreement.”

Three years later, Sanders laced up his cleats one more time and played two seasons as a receiver for the Baltimore Ravens. He left playing football for good in January 2006.

12 of 17

Dara Torres

Another Olympian who just couldn't stay away, Dara Torres retired three times from the sport, but what sets her apart is the long span over which she competed.

Torres racked up four gold, four silver and four bronze medals between 1984 to 2008, returning two times after retirement and winning medals in both comebacks, and she is one of three Olympians to win four or more of each medal type in history. She was 41 at her final Olympics, making her the oldest female swimmer to ever compete, and went home with three silvers in her races.

13 of 17

Muhammad Ali

After 19 years boxing, Muhammad Ali decided his 1978 victory over Leon Spinks to reclaim his heavyweight title and become the first three- time world heavyweight champion would be his last boxing match. The People's Champion announced he'd be retreating from the ring in June 1979.

The following year, Ali had a change of heart and put on his boxing gloves to challenge Larry Holmes for the WBC heavyweight championship and then went up against Trevor Berbick in 1981 in the fight dubbed "Drama in Bahama." He lost both times and the match-up against Berbick would be his last boxing bout.

14 of 17

Randy Moss

After a tumultuous 2010 season which saw him play for three teams, 34-year-old Randy Moss decided to retire from football as a free agent. He would be back in 2012, however, this time playing for the Super Bowl-bound San Francisco 49ers. He permanently retired after that season.

15 of 17

Marshawn Lynch

Star running back Marshawn Lynch also retired from football three times before finally walking away.

He first called it quits from the Seattle Seahawks in 2016 after a season riddled with injury. A year later, he was out of retirement and signed to the Oakland Raiders, with whom he spent two seasons. He retired from the California-based team in April 2019, before returning to the Seahawks for one more go that December.

Lynch permanently retired after the 2019-2020 season.

16 of 17

George Freeman

Another boxing great, George Foreman initially took a step back from the sport in 1977 to focus on religious pursuits. The then-28-year-old said his decision came after a spiritual epiphany he had while cooling off in his dressing room after losing to Jimmy Young that year.

A decade later, Foreman would launch an impressive comeback, fighting the likes of Jerry Cooney, Tommy Morrison and nabbing an iconic win for the lineal heavyweight championship and the WBU title over Lou Savarese in 1997, when he was 48 years old.

He permanently retired in 1997.

17 of 17

Lance Armstrong

After his seventh consecutive Tour de France win in 2005, Lance Armstrong decided it was time to walk away from his incredibly successful cycling career.

He was back four years later, joining Team Astana for the 2009 season and competed until he retired in 2011 without winning any major titles.

In 2012, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accused Armstrong of using, possessing and trafficking PEDs and covering up doping violations. Armstrong did not appeal and admitted to having taken PEDs in a bombshell interview with Oprah that year. He was banned from professionally competing, stripped of all results since 1998, including the Tour de France titles and an Olympic medal, and required to return all prize money.

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