Murray is the pick for BBC Sports Personality of the Year

Andy Murray captured BBC Sports Personality of the Year honors this past weekend. Murray won the award primarily for his heroic effort in leading Great Britain to its first Davis Cup title since 1936. He also finished the season No. 2 in the ATP World Tour rankings.

Murray placed ahead of runner-up Kevin Sinfield, a rugby standout. Heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill was third. The two-time Grand Slam champion received 35 percent of the votes cast, while Sinfield garnered 28 percent of the support and Ennis-Hill scored eight percent.

“Thank you very much, Murray said upon accepting the award. “I didn’t expect this…. Congratulations to everyone who was involved tonight. This has been a five-year journey; we (the Davis Cup team) were down in the bottom level of tennis and now we’re No. 1. I dedicate my life to this sport and I work extremely hard every day to make you proud.”

Making people love his personality has not been an easy thing for Murray to accomplish. Often sullen on the tennis court and prone to sudden outburst at his coaching box, the Scot is far more affable outside of competition. Anyone who closely follows the sport and–more specifically–the players involved, should be well-aware of Murray’s fun-loving ways in everyday life.

So in typical Murray fashion, he took a good-natured jab at those who are not aware.

“A friend sent me a message the other day with an article saying, ‘Andy Murray is duller than a weekend in Worthing,’ which I thought was a bit harsh…on Worthing,” he joked.

The 2012 Olympic gold medalist won 11 live rubbers during Great Britain’s four victorious ties this year. He accounted for two points against the United States and all three at the expense of France, Australia, and Belgium. Murray became only the second player to win 11 live rubbers in the same season following Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic in 2005.

“It has to be one of the best achievements of all time,” captain Leon Smith said of his star player following the final win over Belgium, when Smith was asked where it ranks in the history of British sport. “It’s incredible for all of us to watch how he’s managed to win that many rubbers, that many wins. It was absolutely incredible. Amazing.”