Federer wins record fourth BBC crown

Roger Federer has been named BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year for a record fourth time.

Federer overtook fellow threetime winners Muhammad Ali and Usain Bolt after rolling back the years to win the Australian Open before becoming the first man to win eight Wimbledon singles titles at the age of 35.

His dramatic five-set win over Rafael Nadal in Melbourne ended a near five-year drought of grand slam triumphs, with his victory at the All England Club increasing his haul of majors to a record 19.

A public vote on the BBC Sport website resulted in Federer being crowned the Overseas Sports Personality of the Year from a sixstrong shortlist that included Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady and world champions Katie Ledecky (swimming), Sally Pearson (sprint hurdling), Tatyana Mcfadden (wheelchair racing) and Michael van Gerwen (darts).

The Swiss said: “It makes me incredibly proud that the UK public have chosen me as the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year for 2017. The support that the UK crowds give me whenever I’m here is amazing, and to be recognised on the shortlist alongside some of the greatest sports people of all time is extremely humbling.”

Federer’s latest Sports Personality award comes a decade after his last, which he won in 2007 after matching Bjorn Borg’s feat of five successive Wimbledon crowns and coming within one victory of completing a calendar Grand Slam.

That made Federer only the second person after Ali to retain the BBC prize, having been recognised the previous year for also winning all but one of his matches in majors.

His first prize came two years earlier when he again claimed three of the four grand slams. Federer was beaten by Australian cricketer Shane Warne in 2005.

The overseas award will be included in Sunday’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.