It's no surprise that athletes today are enjoying longevity in their careers that rivals those of yesteryear.
There's a new standard and sports stars aren't peaking in their 20s anymore. We compare the age of decline, then and now. Here's a look.
The head-banded one called it quits in 1983 at the ripe old age of 26, announcing that tennis was no longer "fun."
"Ageless Roger Federer [34] is in peak form, looks primed for a sixth U.S. Open title," Sports Illustrated said in 2015.
His bad back did what his competitors couldn't: sideline him for good in 1992 at age 35.
In 2015-16, the 39-year-old averaged nearly seven points per game off the bench for the Memphis Grizzlies.
The three-time Super Bowl winner credits his bad back for an untimely exit in 2001 at the age of 34.
He's 38, and at the rate he's going, still ringing up 4,000-yard seasons, Gronk may retire before he does.
One of the greatest of all time was forced to hang up his skates at 30 due to too much knee pain.
See The Secrets Behind Hockey's Ageless Wonder: Jaromir Jagr, and read how his chakras are still very much open.