The 10 most successful comebacks by athletes after retirement in sports history

Even though retirement seems permanent, some athletes managed to regain their form and win trophies — sometimes more than before. Here we round up ten standout cases where comebacks after retirement brought major achievements to their careers.

As Bleacher Report reports, the ranking takes into account the athletes’ production and achievements after returning to action, including individual statistics, titles and impact on the team.

Andy Pettitte left as one of the pillars of the New York Yankees, but after a stint as a spring-training instructor he returned to the mound and, over his final two seasons, logged 42 starts, a 16-15 record and a 3.49 ERA, also becoming the club’s strikeout leader. Rob Gronkowski, after a brief retirement caused by mental pressure, joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and in two seasons had 100 receptions, 1,425 yards and 13 touchdowns; the highlight was Super Bowl LV, where he contributed two touchdowns. Randall Cunningham left the game after his role diminished, but came back with the Minnesota Vikings and in the 1998 season posted 3,704 passing yards, 34 touchdowns and huge production for a team that finished 15-1.

Mario Lemieux was forced out by health problems and club management, but he came back and in the 2000-01 season tallied 76 points, emerged as a Hart Trophy contender and later also won Olympic gold with Canada in 2002, while scoring 91 points in 2002-03. Kim Clijsters, who retired young and became a mother, made a stunning return in 2009 and won the US Open as an unseeded player, repeated the success in 2010 and also triumphed at the 2011 Australian Open, briefly returning to world No. 1. Martina Hingis, after retirement and a suspension, rebuilt her career as a doubles specialist and collected several Grand Slam titles in doubles and mixed doubles during 2015–2017.

Dara Torres shows that age is no barrier: after various comebacks she won two gold medals in 2000 and three silvers at Beijing 2008 at age 41, including an American record in the 50m freestyle. Michael Phelps, who announced his definitive retirement in 2012, returned and at Rio 2016 added five golds and one silver, taking his Olympic total to 23 golds and 28 overall. George Foreman, after a decade away from the ring, came back and in 1994 became immortal as the oldest heavyweight champion by knocking out Michael Moorer, restoring the roots of a boxing legend.

Topping this list is Michael Jordan, who retired after the 1993 season and tried baseball, but returned in March 1995 with the famous declaration “I’m back” and led the Chicago Bulls to three straight titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998, also reclaiming MVP awards and spots on the NBA’s elite teams. This roundup of comebacks, as compiled and evaluated by Bleacher Report, shows how some athletes not only managed to restore their level, but also left a renewed legacy after retirement.