Scottish professional tennis player Andy Murray, ranked World number four and British number one, has been crowned the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2013.

The award was issued in Leeds’ First Direct Arena on the 15th December 2013.

The 26-year-old starred in the 2012 Olympic Games for Britain, achieving a gold medal in the men’s singles by defeating Roger Federer in straight sets in the final to become the first British singles champion in over 100 years.

Murray also won a silver medal in the 2012 mixed doubles with his partner Laura Robson, narrowly missing out on the gold medal with a loss in the final.

At the US Open 2012, Andy Murray became the first British player since 1977, and the first British man since 1936, to win a Grand Slam singles tournament, when he defeated Novak Djokovic in five sets.

To top off an incredible year, breaking several records and achieving magnificent milestones, Murray won the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first British man to do so since Fred Perry, 77 years previously. He saw off the threat of Djokovic again in the final to achieve the title.

Murray looked very appreciative and happy to have won the award, and lightly joked during his acceptance speech, “no matter how excited I try to sound my voice still sounds incredibly boring.”

The tennis star is said to have won a landslide victory as, for the first time, the winner received more votes than the rest of the ten contenders combined.

Nobody before has won the award with over 50 per cent of the poll, but Murray received almost 56 per cent of the total online and phone poll. Such is his admiration and respect among the citizens of the nation.

Whether he is considered British or Scottish by the divided United Kingdom, there is no doubting Murray’s quality as an athlete. He certainly captivated and won the hearts of the nation, securing a British gold and silver medal at the Olympics last year and winning the 2013 Wimbledon Championships.

(Featured image courtesy of E01 on Flickr)