Here, AFP Sports looks at five senior moments:

Atletico Madrid's mature mascots

Spanish giants Atletico Madrid provided a new twist to the match day ritual of lining up youngsters to greet players before kick-off by calling upon their oldest members to perform the task instead ahead of the 1-0 win over Real Betis.

It was a complete surprise for the seniors, some of whom were on walking sticks. They were blindfolded in the tunnel. The players came and took the blindfolds off before taking the stunned group out onto the pitch.

Peterhansel, 51, the Dakar great

France's Stephane Peterhansel defied his 51 years to win a 13th Dakar Rally title, describing his latest triumph as the sweetest following an epic battle with Peugeot teammate Sebastien Loeb.

Peterhansel added the 2017 title to his previous six wins on four wheels and his six on motorcycles, the first coming in 1991.

"This victory is particularly sweet because the competition was so high," said Peterhansel who made his debut on the race in 1988.

Tommy guns -- at 38

Former world number two Tommy Haas will play his first tournament since October 2015 when he lines up at the Australian Open.

The German's career has been plagued by a succession of shoulder, hip and elbow injuries and recently went under the knife for the ninth time.

"It doesn’t matter what sport you’re in or whatever it is you are in, I think it’s important to find that right moment or time when it’s time to move on to something else so I think for me it’s very important to be back on tour, back at the Australian Open,” Haas said.

Haas has made four semi-finals at the majors including at the 2002 Australian Open where he beat Roger Federer in a fourth round five-setter. Haas will be the oldest man to play singles in Melbourne since Bob Carmichael in 1979.

Stepanek a qualified success -- at 38

Like Haas, Stepanek also turned pro in 1996.

A former world number four, the 38-year-old Czech will also feature in the Australian Open first round after coming through three rounds of qualifying over the weekend.

Now ranked at 103, he is the oldest qualifier at the Australian Open since 42-year-old Mal Anderson in 1977.

Kazu still king at 50

Former Japan striker Kazuyoshi Miura, who turns 50 next month, renewed his contract with Yokohama FC, stretching his record as the oldest Japanese to play professional football.

The forward, dubbed "King Kazu", will take his career into a remarkable 32nd season after agreeing a one-year deal, the J-League second-tier club said.

The former Genoa and Dinamo Zagreb player attracts immense public admiration and broke his own mark as the J-league's oldest goalscorer after netting at the age of 49 in June last year.