Sports Personality 2021: Emma Raducanu dominates social media reaction

  • Published
Emma Raducanu Sports Personality graphic
Image caption,

Raducanu picked up her award over a video call from her hotel room in Abu Dhabi, where she is quarantining

What a way to end an incredible year of sport.

Tennis star Emma Raducanu was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2021 in Salford, where there was no studio audience present due to Covid-19 guidelines.

Amid 2021's packed sporting calendar that featured the delayed Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and Euro 2020, the world watched as 19-year-old Raducanu wrote her name in history on the tennis court.

She ended a 44-year wait for a British women's Grand Slam singles champion, winning the US Open without dropping a single set, months after receiving her A-Level results.

She became the youngest women's Slam champion since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004, having started the year at 338th in the WTA world rankings.

After finishing ahead of second-placed Tom Daley and Adam Peaty in third, Raducanu was trending on social media within minutes.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post by Michael Owen

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post by Michael Owen
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 2 by Gary Lineker 💙

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 2 by Gary Lineker 💙
Image source, Twitter
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 3 by Clare Balding 💙

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 3 by Clare Balding 💙
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 4 by Wimbledon

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 4 by Wimbledon
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 5 by wta

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 5 by wta
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 6 by Gabby Logan

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 6 by Gabby Logan

It was an emotional night and BBC viewers had 'goosebumps' right from the get-go...

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 7 by Abbie McCarthy

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 7 by Abbie McCarthy
Image source, Twitter
Image source, Twitter

Then when Arsenal and Scotland defender Jen Beattie picked up the Helen Rollason award for bravery in speaking about her cancer diagnosis and encouraging others to get screened, the tears started flowing...

Image source, Twitter
Image source, Twitter
Image source, Twitter

Contenders for the main award Adam Peaty and Tom Daley took to their social media channels looking sharp on the red carpet.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 8 by Adam Peaty MBE

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 8 by Adam Peaty MBE
Image source, Instagram

Sports Personality of the Year 2021 was a night to remember and a fitting sign-off to an extraordinary year in sport.

Congratulations to Raducanu and all who picked up an award. To BBC viewers, let's hope the tears have stopped flowing by now...

Related topics