Emma Raducanu’s dream run, which began when she impressed at Wimbledon in July and won the US Open title at Flushing Meadows in September as an 18-year-old, continued in the early hours of Monday when she was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2021.
In a public vote, Emma came first, as widely anticipated, followed by British Olympic successes, diver Tom Daley and swimmer Adam Peaty. Manchester City and England forward Raheem Sterling, boxer Tyson Fury, and Great Britain’s most successful Paralympian Sarah Storey were also shortlisted for the main award.
But it was Emma who captured the public’s imagination because her triumph from low rankings was so unexpected.
The award ceremony was broadcast live from MediaCityUK, Salford, near Manchester, by big guns from the world of television — Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott.
However, Emma’s “coronation” was a strange and subdued affair as she was forced to collect a replica trophy alone in her hotel room in Abu Dhabi, where she was isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 earlier this week.
It meant her victory speech was delivered over Zoom at almost 1am in the UAE. “It’s such an honour just to be among these nominees,” she said, waving at the camera. “Congrats to you and all your achievements.”
She added: “'To win, it’s really pretty amazing for me. I’m really happy with this, I’ve watched Sports Personality of the Year (‘spoty’, as Emma wrote on social media) 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! “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.”
Lineker promised to give her the actual trophy when she returned home. Balding said she hoped the award would cheer up Emma who was alone in her hotel room.
Emma is the youngest winner of the BBC award since another 19-year-old, the footballer Michael Owen, in 1998.
Among the first to tweet their congratulations were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and his wife, Catherine: “Huge congratulations @EmmaRaducanu on your stunning performances and historic Grand Slam victory! Incredible — we are all so proud of you.”
When racing driver Lewis Hamilton won the award 12 months ago, Emma was ranked 345th in the world and was still a sixth-form student at Newstead Wood School in Orpington, south-east London.
Her victory in America followed a run to the Wimbledon fourth round in July on her grand slam main draw debut. Wimbledon ended in heart-breaking fashion as she was forced to retire from her fourth-round match with breathing difficulties.
To even reach the main draw at Flushing Meadows, Emma, who had just received her A-level results, needed to negotiate three rounds of qualifying. She entered the tournament ranked No.150 in the world and went on to win it without dropping a set, beating fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in the final in front of 23,000 fans on Arthur Ashe Stadium. She was the first woman to win the US Open without dropping a set since Serena Williams in 2014.
Now 19 and ranked British No.1, Emma becomes 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.
She was always going to miss Sunday night’s show in Salford after opting to play in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi as she warms up for next month’s Australian Open. She will enter 2022 ranked 19th in the world and with a new coach, Torben Beltz.
