Emma Raducanu has been named the 2021 BBC Sports Personality of the year ahead of British diver Tom Daley and swimmer Adam Peaty.
The British player received the most votes from the public allowing her to win the award. Raducanu is currently back home in London in isolation after testing positive for the Coronavirus. She feels fine and should be good to go to return to the courts fairly soon but before that she bagged another accolade. Receiving the award Raducanu said via. video call:
"I'm
really happy with this, I've watched Sports Personality of the Year
growing up and it's an honour to be among those past winners. I'm happy for British tennis as well, and that we've managed to get this award...again!"
The 19-year old is the WTA British number one and she became the first female
tennis player to be crowned Sports Personality of the Year since
Virginia Wade in 1977 - the last British woman to win a Grand Slam
singles title. Andy
Murray was the last tennis player to win the award, with his third
coming in 2016. Raducanu is the first female to win the award since Zara
Phillips, now Tindall, in 2006. She finished off her acceptance with:
"Thanks to all the fans and voters, this year has been insane. The energy this year playing at Wimbledon in front of my home crowd, that was something I've never felt before."