| INIESTA | Which Spanish Football legend and a World Cup winner announced his retirement recently? (7) |
| NADAL | Which Spanish tennis legend announced his retirement recently? (5) |
| NESSUNDORMA | Tenor aria in Puccini's Turandot that became Pavarotti's signature song and a World Cup anthem (6,5) |
| MISCUE | Blunder as royal gardens beauty pageant winner announced? (6) |
| RANI | Which legendary Indian hockey player announced her retirement recently? (4) |
| TIPONEILL | Name shared by a Canadian baseball legend and a U.S. House Speaker |
| GLIGHT | 2017 hit by Lorde (also a 2008 hit by John Legend, and a 1968 hit by the American Breed) |
| YELTSIN | Which Russian leader (Boris ___) announced his retirement on New Year's Eve, 1999? (7) |
| SANGRIA | Which Spanish drink consists of red wine, lemonade, fruit and spices? (7) |
| SEGOVIA | Which Spanish guitarist and composer (Andres ___) was largely responsible for the revival of the classical guitar? (7) |
| FEDERER | Roger, Swiss tennis player who announced his retirement in 2022 at the age of 41 (7) |
| MICHAEL | Knighted nonagenarian actor who has announced his retirement (7,5) |
| IANBELL | England 2005 Ashes series batsman who announced his retirement in 2020 (3,4) |
| SHEFALI | Who reached 200 with a six in the one-off Test held between India and South Africa in Chennai recently? (7) |
| LECLERC | Identify this Monegasque racing driver who won the USA Formula 1 GP held recently? (7,7) |
| CHHETRI | Who became the top goal-scorer in the history of Indian Super League football recently? (7) |
| CHARLES | Identify this Monegasque racing driver who won the USA Formula 1 GP held recently? (7,7) |
| HARYANA | Which State team won the badminton senior National championship held recently? (7) |
| SPENCER | Who took most wickets in the T20I series between Australia and Pakistan recently? (7) |
| SEVILLE | In which Spanish city is the opera Carmen set? (7) |
