| ALACK | Unfortunately, a gap his retirement left? (5) |
| HYENA | Unfortunately a hen comes across sticky end with predator (5) |
| MASSE | Tricky billiards shot unfortunately a mess (5) |
| ANGEL | Emotionally gutted in Senegal, unfortunately - a Wet Wet Wet record (5,4) |
| ROGET | Physician and lexicographer who relieved his depression by compiling a thesaurus in his retirement (5) |
| DIVAN | What many a Russian has supplied for his retirement? (5) |
| OSCAR | Americans' nod to another, and on one's dramatic failing, with no mad reactions, unfortunately a when only this? (5-9) |
| GASOL | NBA veteran Pau ..., who has announced his retirement. (5) |
| ROGER | Swiss tennis player who just announced his retirement, _ Federer (5) |
| BROAD | Stuart _, England cricketer who announced his retirement during the 2023 Ashes (5) |
| CAINE | Knighted nonagenarian actor who has announced his retirement (7,5) |
| ISNER | John, U.S. tennis player who announced his retirement in 2023 (5) |
| DALEY | British diver who announced his retirement after the 2024 Olympics (3,5) |
| NADAL | Which Spanish tennis legend announced his retirement recently? (5) |
| TYSON | Which boxer announced his retirement in January 2025? (5) |
| ONEAL | 15-time N.B.A. All-Star who announced his retirement on Twitter |
| ALEEM | This well-known umpire from Pakistan, who was in the ICC International Elite Panel, announced his retirement. (5) |
| CRACKPOT | Jailer left practical joker, as, unfortunately, a bit of a nutter (8) |
| STEPHENKING | Novelist who in 1999 was hit by a van in Maine and in 2002 announced his retirement; he published his his next novel a year later, and has added 25 since |
| SWEETPEA | Unfortunately a pest will eat little plant (5,3) |
