Sports Personality of the Year 2016: Andy Murray's incredible 2016
BBC Sport looks back at the achievements which led to Andy Murray being crowned Sports Personality of the Year for a record third time.
BBC Sport looks back at the achievements which led to Andy Murray being crowned Sports Personality of the Year for a record third time.
Andy Murray has been voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for a record third time.
Murray, the 2013 and 2015 winner, took Olympic gold, claimed his second Wimbledon title and became tennis’ world number one in a remarkable 2016.
Triathlete Alistair Brownlee was second and show jumper Nick Skelton third.
“It’s been a great year for British sport and I am so proud to have been a part of it,” said 29-year-old Murray as he accepted the award from Miami.
Murray accepted the award via video-link from Florida, where he is preparing for the 2017 season.
As he took the prize from former British boxing world champion Lennox Lewis and gathered members of his training team around him, he added: “I’d like to thank everyone who voted – I really appreciate your support.”
Brownlee, 28, became the first man to retain the Olympic triathlon title at Rio 2016, finishing ahead of brother Jonny, who claimed the silver.
The Yorkshireman later made headlines across the world when he selflessly helped his exhausted brother over the line in a dramatic end to the Triathlon World Series in Mexico.
Skelton, 58, claimed individual show jumping gold at Rio 2016, becoming Britain’s second oldest Olympic gold medallist, 16 years after initially retiring with a neck broken in two places.
In his acceptance speech, Scot Murray said: “I’d also like to thank my family. I think my mum is in the crowd there [in Birmingham]. I’d like to thank my dad as as well, who just got married 10 days ago. I miss you guys.
“A huge thanks to my wife and my daughter – she won’t know what this means yet, but maybe in a few years she will.
“Actually, I’ve got a bone to pick with my wife because about an hour ago she told me she’d voted for Nick Skelton. Not smart from her with Christmas coming up.”
The other winners in Sunday’s awards ceremony were:
Young Sports Personality of the Year: Ellie Robinson: the Swimmer claimed gold in the S6 50m butterfly final with a Games record at the Rio Paralympics, aged 15.
Team of the Year: Leicester City: the Foxes stunned the world with their shock Premier League triumph last season.
Coach of the Year: Claudio Ranieri: Leicester’s Italian manager was named top coach after overseeing the remarkable campaign.
Lifetime Achievement: Michael Phelps: the record-breaking American swimmer, 31, won his 23rd Olympic gold in his final Games in Rio in August.
Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: Simone Biles: the 19-year-old American broke new ground with a series of dazzling routines as she secured four gold medals at the Rio Olympics.
Helen Rollason: Ben Smith: the charity runner completed 401 marathons in 401 days after battling back from injury to pass his fundraising target of £250,000.
Sport’s Unsung Hero: Boxing club founder Marcellus Baz provides free classes to hundreds of young people at his Nottingham School of Boxing, with some even dreaming of reaching the Olympics.
Helen Shaw: Well done Andy Murray. Well deserved. As is Alistair Brownlee in second place.
Sideburns Kev: Great to see Nick Skelton and Alistair Brownlee being recognised.
Allan Blair Beaton: Nice waaaaaan @andy_murray! Another #SPOTY for the cupboard. Well done!
Former British number one Annabel Croft on BBC Radio 5 live:
He’s never worried what people thought of him and he’s become one of the most popular sportsmen in the country.
I feel as if he can go on and dominate quite significantly in 2017.
Murray began the year by reaching the Australian Open final, but lost to Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
After the match, speaking shortly before the birth of his first child, he said: “To Kim, my wife, who is going to be watching at home. You’ve been a legend. I’ll be on the next flight home.”
Murray was beaten again by Djokovic at the French Open final in early June, but within two weeks he was crowned Wimbledon champion for a second time, adding to his 2013 title, when he ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion.
In August he defended his men’s singles Olympic title with victory over Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in an epic final in Brazil.
And another win over Djokovic at the ATP World Tour Finals – Murray’s first title at the season-ending event – ensured he would end 2016 as world number one.
Speaking during Sunday’s ceremony in Birmingham, before he won the award, Murray said 2016 had been “the best year in my career”.
Asked about how becoming a father had affected him, he added: “I have loved it. It was a challenge obviously and it made me realise tennis isn’t the most important thing.
“Away from the court I am a lot happier now I’m not thinking about tennis all the time as I used to and that’s helped me on the court.”
More to follow.
Andy Murray receives the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award for an unprecedented third time – but reveals he was not wife Kim’s choice of winner.
ATPWorldTour.com reviews the 2016 ATP Challenger Tour season and its key storylines
The 2016 ATP Challenger Tour season was filled with many intriguing storylines and pulsating moments. With 165 tournaments in 44 countries and territories, there was no shortage of entertaining tennis, as players fought for crucial Emirates ATP Rankings points. ATPWorldTour.com looks back at the season that was…
NextGen Stars Make Their Mark
Rising players continued to have a major impact on the ATP Challenger Tour, with #NextGen stars racking up 17 titles in total. Teenagers comprised 13 of those 17 victories. Among the #NextGen winners were Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, Hyeon Chung, Elias Ymer, Yoshihito Nishioka and Kyle Edmund.
Emerging Americans also made their presence felt in the second half of 2016. Frances Tiafoe won his first Challenger title in August in Granby, then repeated the feat two months later at another $100,000 event in Tiburon, en route to making his debut this October inside the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings. Reilly Opelka (Charlottesville), Michael Mmoh (Knoxville) and Stefan Kozlov (Champaign) joined the trend of first-time teenage titlists, while 20-year-old Ernesto Escobedo picked up his first two Challenger wins in Lexington and Monterrey. Teenager Taylor Fritz opened up his 2016 season with a victory in Happy Valley.
Read Features: Opelka | Mmoh | Tiafoe | Escobedo
Argentina’s Dominance
Argentina racked up 20 Challenger titles in 2016, tying France in 2005 and their own personal best in 2007 for most Challenger events won by any country. Ten different Argentine players won titles this year: Facundo Bagnis had a tour-leading six Challenger titles, followed by Guido Andreozzi (2), Horacio Zeballos (2), Diego Schwartzman (2), Renzo Olivo (2), Nicolas Kicker (2), Maximo Gonzalez, Carlos Berlocq, Leonardo Mayer, Agustin Velotti. Eight of these Challenger wins have come over the past two months.
Bagnis tied Juan Ignacio Chela (2001) and Younes El Aynaoui (1998) for most Challenger titles won in a single season. He went 45-11 this year at this level, with all of his titles coming on red clay events in South America.
Read Features: Argentina | Bagnis
Milestone Men
Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo became the first player to win 400 matches at the Challenger level, a feat he accomplished this August in Chengdu. The 38-year-old Spaniard’s first Challenger win came in Manerbio back in 2000. He reached three Challenger finals this year, including back-to-back events in August in Qingdao and Chengdu, becoming the oldest finalist in Challenger history at 38 years, 7 months.
Dudi Sela also recorded his 20th Challenger title this March in Shenzhen. The Israeli veteran won his first Challenger title in Togliatti in 2003.
Yen-Hsun Lu continued his Challenger dominance by winning his 26th career title at this level in October in Suzhou. Lu recorded an outstanding 34-5 record on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2016, winning four titles (Suzhou, Ningbo, Surbiton, Ilkley) and finishing runner-up at two other events (Seoul, Bangkok)
Read Features: Ramirez-Hidalgo | Sela | Lu
Challengers Honoured In London
The ATP Challenger Tour’s finest had their moment in the spotlight during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The Monterrey Open (Monterrey, Mexico), Ethias Trophy (Mons, Belgium) and SPARKASSEN Open (Braunschweig, Germany) were honoured at The O2 as 2015 ATP Challenger Tour award winners for exemplifying the very best of tennis at this level.
Read ATP Challenger Tour Awards Feature
Tour Tidbits
There will be a Mallorcan flair on the ATP World Tour in 2017, as Rafael Nadal announced on Saturday that he has brought on countryman Carlos Moya as a member of his coaching staff. Two of the three Spaniards to ascend to World No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Nadal and Moya will join forces immediately, in preparation for the upcoming season.
“I am very excited to announce that Carlos Moya will join my team immediately and work together with Toni (Nadal) and Francisco Roig,” Nadal said. “To have someone like Carlos who is not only a friend but also a very important person in my career is something special. He will be next to me at my practices and competition.”
Moya is no stranger to the coaching ranks, having guided Milos Raonic to a career year on the ATP World Tour and a year-end position of No. 3 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Raonic entered the 2016 season at No. 14 when Moya was hired.
“Toni Nadal called me and to be honest it was great to receive that call,” said Moya. “To be able to help Rafa is something special for me and I am sure that together with Toni, Francisco and the rest of the team we have a great common project. Rafa is a special player and above all a great person and friend on which I have a lot of trust and confidence that will be able to continue winning important titles.”
The Mallorca natives established a friendly rivalry on the court towards the end of Moya’s playing career. They met on eight occasions from 2003 to 2008, including at four different ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events, with Nadal owning a 6-2 edge. The longtime friends also guided Spain to the Davis Cup title in 2004.
In addition, Moya will join Nadal’s new academy as a technical adviser. “The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar is an important challenge in an already very professional structure with great professionals that already do an excellent work,” Moya added.
Nadal is set to open his 2017 campaign at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp on 2 January. The World No. 9 is hoping to bounce back after ending his 2016 season early due to a wrist injury. Despite the ailment, he compiled a 39-14 match record, including two titles at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (d. Monfils) and the Barcelona Open BancSabadell (d. Nishikori).
