Emma Raducanu shortlisted for BBC Sports Personality of the Year

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Emma Raducanu

British No 1 Emma Raducanu has been nominated for 2021’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year after her extraordinary breakthrough season.

She impressed at Wimbledon earlier this year in front of her home crowd, then she went on to wow across the pond at the US Open by winning the tournament without dropping a single set.

The 19-year-old tennis sensation rose a dramatic 324 places to No 19 in the WTA’s year-end rankings and is now the bookmakers favourite to win the national broadcaster’s competition.

Although she has been criticised for being too inconsistent in her performances this year, claiming victory at Flushing Meadows one minute then getting knocked out of the Linz Open in the opening round the next, she now has new coach Torbin Beltz preparing her for the 2022 season and beyond.

Raducanu will have to beat off competition from Olympic gold medallists such as diver Tom Daley and swimmer Adam Peaty if she has any chance of coming away with the prize voted for by the British public.

The other nominees include Paralympic gold medallist Dame Sarah Storey, England and Manchester City striker Raheem Sterling and former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, despite his previous threats to sue to the BBC if he was included in this shortlist.

Before the winner of the SPOTY award is announced on December 19, Raducanu will have to concentrate on her on-court commitments as she’s playing in the one-off women’s match at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi which runs from December 16-19.

This means if she was to win the BBC’s award, she wouldn’t be able to receive the honour in person but hopefully British audiences will be able to catch a glimpse of her in a video message if she does go on to win.

Emma Raducanu

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