Teen tennis star Emma Raducanu, the favorite to win the prestigious 2021 BBC Sports Personality of the Year crown, is isolating after testing positive for Covid-19.
The 19-year-old is odds on after she won hearts in Britain with a stunning withdrawal at Wimbledon before seizing the US Open title without dropping a set.
The teen, who has a Romanian father and Chinese mother, on Monday announced she had tested positive for Covid-19. She said she hoped to „get back soon” after withdrawing from the Mubadala World Tennis Championships.
The US Open champion was due to play Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic in the exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.
The Briton became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title in New York.
Lewis Hamilton, who missed out on a record eighth Formula One drivers’ title on Sunday to Max Verstappen is a key omission from the shortlist.
The 36-year-old won Sports Personality for the second time last year after equaling Michael Schumacher’s record of seven titles.
Tom Daley’s maiden Olympic gold medal cemented his status as one of the country’s top sportsmen. The diver’s odds are 12/1.
Fellow Olympian Adam Peaty is also on the shortlist. The 28-year-old swimmer won the gold medal in the 100 metre breaststroke at the 2016 Summer Olympics and retained the title at the 2020 Summer Olympics in 2021.
Heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury has been named on the shortlist for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award despite threatening to sue the broadcaster.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2021 odds:
Emma Raducanu: 1/20
Tom Daley: 12/1
Tyson Fury: 20/1
Adam Peaty: 66/1
The winner of the award will be announced at the annual ceremony on Sunday.
