diff --git a/docs/tracing.md b/docs/tracing.md
index d227a9da9..041e5f89b 100644
--- a/docs/tracing.md
+++ b/docs/tracing.md
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func clientWithTrace() error {
     }
     defer cancel()
 
-    span, ctx := tracing.StartSpan(ctx, "OPERATION NAME")
+    ctx, span := tracing.StartSpan(ctx, "OPERATION NAME")
     defer span.End()
     ...
 }
diff --git a/tracing/tracing.go b/tracing/tracing.go
index 433739aa6..d3ecfb5f9 100644
--- a/tracing/tracing.go
+++ b/tracing/tracing.go
@@ -24,13 +24,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 // StartSpan starts child span in a context.
-func StartSpan(ctx context.Context, opName string, opts ...trace.SpanStartOption) (trace.Span, context.Context) {
+func StartSpan(ctx context.Context, opName string, opts ...trace.SpanStartOption) (context.Context, trace.Span) {
 	if parent := trace.SpanFromContext(ctx); parent != nil && parent.SpanContext().IsValid() {
-		ctx, span := parent.TracerProvider().Tracer("").Start(ctx, opName, opts...)
-		return span, ctx
+		return parent.TracerProvider().Tracer("").Start(ctx, opName, opts...)
 	}
-	ctx, span := otel.Tracer("").Start(ctx, opName, opts...)
-	return span, ctx
+	return otel.Tracer("").Start(ctx, opName, opts...)
 }
 
 // StopSpan ends the span specified