Andy Murray has backed compatriot and fellow tennis star Emma Raducanu to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year.The 19-year-old Raducanu is one of six nominees for the prestigious accolade, which celebrates the past 12 months in sport.She has been shortlisted alongside Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, swimmer Adam Peaty, diver Tom Daley, boxer Tyson Fury and footballer Raheem Sterling.Raducanu, who secured an improbable victory at the US Open in September, has been backed to win by Murray, a three-time winner of BBC Sports Personality of the Year."I don’t think anyone will be too surprised if that is the outcome," he said. "She created one of the biggest global sporting moments of the year. I think she deserves to win."Anytime I won, I always got accused of having no personality. She certainly has a fantastic personality. I hope she wins. Good luck to her."Murray was speaking after defeating rival Rafael Nadal 6-3, 7-5 in the semi-finals of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.The three-time Grand Slam winner will face Russia’s Andrey Rublev in the final.Raducanu was also supposed to compete at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, but she is currently in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.The teenager made history after defeating Leylah Fernandez in the final of the US Open, becoming the first ever qualifier, male or female, to win a Grand Slam title.She also became Britain’s first female Grand Slam winner since Virginia Wade in 1977.After rising to world number 19 in the WTA rankings, Raducanu is now favourite to win the public vote for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.If she did, Raducanu would become the first female recipient of the award since Zara Phillips in 2006. Indeed, under 20 percent of BBC Sports Personality of the Year winners have been women.

She will be challenged by Storey, who became Britain’s most successful Paralympian over the summer, and Daley, who became an Olympic champion in the men's synchronised 10-metre platform at his fourth Games.

Fury retained his WBC title in Las Vegas in October, while Sterling helped England to the final of Euro 2020 in July.

Peaty, who rounds off the shortlist, became the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title, triumphing in the 100m breaststroke gold.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year will take place tomorrow. It will be aired on BBC One from 6:45pm, and will also be shown on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.