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Calling it a day

Justine Henin won seven grand slams before retiring as world No. 1 in 2008 © Getty Images

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Elena Dementieva caused a stir when she announced her retirement from tennis last week. At 29, the world No. 9 was still one of the fittest players on the WTA Tour and a constant presence in the world's top ten for the best part of a decade.

While most sportsmen and women fade out after long careers, others turn their back on the sport at the very top of their game. We take a look at ten sports stars who retired in their prime...

Justine Henin
When Justine Henin announced her retirement in 2008, she became the only women's player to quit while ranked as world No. 1. A seven-time grand slam champion and Olympic gold medallist, Henin's announcement came just a matter of weeks before the French Open, where she was favourite to defend her title for the third time. At the time of her retirement, Henin had occupied the No. 1 spot for 61 consecutive weeks and a total of 117. She returned to the WTA Tour in 2010, reaching the final of the Australian Open in only her second tournament back, but missed much of the season with an elbow injury.

Michael Jordan
The man who made basketball a global sport, Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls to three NBA successive championships between 1990 and 1993 before abruptly announcing his retirement from the sport. Just months after his father was murdered, Jordan turned his back on the sport to pursue a career in baseball. However, 'His Airness' returned to the Bulls in 1995, retired for a second time in 1999 before returning with the Washington Wizards in 2001 - eventually retiring at the age of 40.

Alain Prost
One half of one of the greatest sporting rivalries of all time, Alain Prost won the drivers' championship four times between 1985 and 1993. His rivalry with Ayrton Senna began in 1988 when the pair came to blows as team-mates at McLaren - Senna won the title that year but Prost claimed victory the following season. Prost moved on to McLaren and after a year out of the sport returned with Williams and won the title. However, when Williams signed Senna, Prost walked out on the team and turned his back on the sport.

Eric Cantona
King Eric enjoyed a hero's reception at Old Trafford, and despite serving an eight-month ban for his infamous kung-fu kick at Selhurst Park in January 1995, scored more than 80 goals in a five-year stay at the club. At the end of the 1997 season, Cantona announced his retirement at the age of 30. He went on to pursue an acting career and became the manager of the French national beach soccer team. "When you quit football it is not easy, your life becomes difficult. I should know because sometimes I feel I quit too young," Cantona later admitted. "I loved the game but I no longer had the passion to go to bed early, not to go out with my friends, not to drink, and not to do a lot of other things - the things I like in life."

Joe Calzaghe retired undefeated in 2009 © Getty Images

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Joe Calzaghe
Calzaghe first became world champion in 2007, beating Chris Eubank to claim the WBO super middleweight title, a belt he held for ten years until he relinquished the title to step up to the light-heavyweight division. He became undisputed champion in that division after beating Mikkel Kessler - winning Kessler's WBA and WBC titles as well as retaining his own WBO title. Calzaghe stepped up once more to light-heavyweight and wins over Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jnr saw him extend his undefeated record to 46 fights. Calzaghe retired in 2009, one of only a handful of fighters to retire undefeated.

Bjorn Borg
After making his Davis Cup debut at the age of 15, Borg won his first of 11 grand slam titles just days after his 18th birthday, one of seven titles in 1974. By 1977 he was the world No. 1 and he occupied the top ranking for a total of 109 weeks between 1977 and 1981. His six French Open titles remains a record, and his five consecutive Wimbledon crowns was only matched by Roger Federer in 2007. At the age of 26, Bjorn announced his retirement from tennis with 63 singles titles to his name. "He was bigger than the game," Arthur Ashe said. "He was like Elvis or Liz Taylor or somebody. He'd lost touch with the real world." Borg made unsuccessful comeback attempts in the early 1990s.

Barry John
Arguably the finest fly-half ever to grace a rugby pitch, Barry John earned the nickname 'The King' during a short but glittering career. After making his international debut for Wales in December 1966, John forged a successful partnership with the great Gareth Edwards and cemented his reputation as a true rugby great on tour with the Lions in New Zealand in 1971. John scored 30 of the 48 points scored by the Lions over the four Tests as the Lions earned a rare win over the All Blacks. His heroics earned him a hero's welcome on his return to Britain, but John hated the media attention and after a young girl curtsied to him as he opened a local bank, he announced his retirement in 1972 at the age of 27, with just 25 Wales caps and 5 Lions caps. "If I needed something to show me that it had all gone way over the top, that was it," said John.

Ian Thorpe turned his back on swimming at the age of 24 © Getty Images

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Ian Thorpe
The most successful Australian Olympian of all time, Thorpedo was the star of the Sydney Olympics at the age of just 17. After becoming the youngest world champion at the 1998 World Swimming Championships at 15, his size 17 feet saw him shatter a series of world records. In front of his home crowd in Sydney Thorpe smashed his own world record to win the 400m freestyle before going on to win another three medals. After nearly missing out the chance to defend his title in Athens - he was disqualified after toppling from his starting block at the Australian trials, only to be handed a place by Craig Stevens - he defended his title before winning 'the race of the century' against Pieter van den Hoogenband and American Michael Phelps in the 200m freestyle. After missing the 2006 Commonwealth Games with glandular fever, Thrope announced his retirement from the sport at the tender age of 24.

Marcus Trescothick
Described as a left-handed Graham Gooch, Trescothick scored an impressive 66 on his international debut in 2000 and amassing 5825 runs, including 14 centuries in a six-year career with England. His 431 runs were instrumental in England's regaining of the Ashes in 2005, but he was forced to return home from the winter tour to India in February 2006 with a mystery illness, believed to be clinical depression. He was included in the Ashes squad later that year but flew home after two warm-up games. After two years of uncertainty, Trescothick announced his retirement from international cricket.

Peter Knowles
Brother of Tottenham legend Cyril Knowles, Peter Knowles scored over 100 goals for Wolves, but retired in 1969 at the age of 23 to become a Jehovah's Witness. "I cannot be a Christian and a clogger," he said. Hotly tipped to be in England's 1970 World Cup squad in Mexico, Knowles retired without having fulfilled his ambition of a full England cap. Wolves kept him on their books in the hope he would perform a U-turn, but his contract was finally terminated in 1982. He still lives in Wolverhampton and can be found preaching in the area.

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