Andy Murray becomes world No 1: Bad news for Alistair Brownlee in bid to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year

Murray's rise to the top of the world rankings looks to have sealed his third BBC Sports Personality of the Year award

Andy Murray practiced with young players after his Paris Masters semi-final was abandoned (Getty)

Andy Murray’s progression to the top of the men’s singles world rankings spells bad news for Alistair Brownlee, with Murray now the overwhelming favourite to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

The current list of odds is unsurprisingly packed full of Olympians who competed at Rio 2016, and while Murray had been tipped for another success to add to his 2013 and 2015 accolades, his move to the top of the world rankings has seen his odds drop even further.

The 29-year-old has odds offered as short as 4/11, with triathlon gold medallist Brownlee now drifting to 9/2 in places. Despite Murray being the clear favourite due to his success at Wimbledon adding to his Rio gold medal, Brownlee’s incredible act of generosity in carrying his brother over the finish line at the final World Triathlon Series event of the year saw him tipped as a strong outsider for the prestigious award.

Brownlee’s brother, Jonny, was attempting to win the World Triathlon Series in Mexico when he began to suffer from exhaustion. As he weaved across the road, Alistair came to his aid and carried him to the finish line before he collapsed and received medical treatment.

Alistair was heralded as a hero and calls for him to win the Sports Personality of the Year award immediately began to flood in. However, Murray’s triumph – which could yet be added to with the ATP World Tour Finals in London later this month – looks set to scupper his chances, according to the bookmakers’.

Along with Murray and Brownlee, other Olympic athletes who are in the running include Laura Trott, Mo Farah and Nick Skelton, while the two non-Olympic athletes currently in the top 10 and likely to be shortlisted are footballer Gareth Bale and world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

One man who could yet have a say on the running though is Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, who can be nabbed at 100/1 with a number of bookmakers. Hamilton trails Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in the F1 world championship with two races to go, and if he somehow turns it around and claims a third straight world championship, he could find himself rivalling Murray for top honours.

Odds:

Andy Murray – 1/2

Alistair Brownlee – 4/1

Laura Trott – 10/1

Mo Farah – 10/1

Gareth Bale – 18/1

Nick Skelton – 33/1

Max Whitlock – 50/1

Anthony Joshua – 50/1

Jessica Ennis-Hill – 50/1

Jason Kenny – 66/1

(Odds provided by SkyBet)