EUROSPORT VIEWERS CROWN DJOKOVIC ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

His stellar year included three victories out of four grand slam final appearances, and Eurosport will show live coverage of Djokovic’s defence of his Australian Open title across Europe from the start of the 2016 tournament on January 18.

Footballer Leo Messi was second in the vote with 17.9% followed by basketball star Steph Curry with 16.5%, Rugby World Cup-winner Dan Carter on 12.9% and sprinter Usain Bolt on 10.7%.  Alpine skier Anna Fenninger, F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, tennis ace Serena Williams, swimming sensation Katie Ledecky and golfer Jordan Spieth rounded out the top 10.

In addition to this public vote, Eurosport has unveiled 10 Future Stars for 2016, as the sports destination looks forward to another year of exhilarating sports action.

Those included on Eurosport’s 10 Future Stars for 2016 list will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Jordan Spieth and tennis star Simona Halep, who have become household names since being nominated for the annual list two years ago.

With unrivalled insight into the international sports scene, Eurosport’s commentators and producers across Europe have selected established and less known figures who they believe are poised for major career breakthroughs in 2016. Athletes included come from the worlds of football, tennis, cycling, athletics, wintersports, F1, motorcycling and swimming. Read what Eurosport’s experts had to say about them in detail, here.

French footballer Kingsley Coman has been a revelation at Bayern Munich this season, while there are big hopes for Russian tennis starlet and former French Open junior champion Andrey Rublev and Polish cyclist Rafal Majka, who finished third in the 2015 Vuelta a España.

Belgian-Dutch F1 driver Max Verstappen, at the age of 18, has been tipped as a world champion in the coming two seasons, while 16-year-old French motorcycling prospect Fabio Quartararo has been labelled as a likely MotoGP hot shot in the not-too-distant future.

Also on the shortlist is British swimmer Ben Proud, who will be targeting gold at home in the European Championships, and compatriot Katarina Johnson-Thompson who has Olympic glory in her sights at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016.

With Eurosport providing unrivalled wintersports coverage, viewers will also be able to follow closely the progress of Italian alpine skier Roberto Nani, who has been backed to fulfil his potential in a competitive field, as well as promising German duo Laura Dahlmeier and Andreas Wellinger in biathlon and ski jumping, respectively.

“Novak Djokovic produced a record-breaking 2015, and from the Australian Open this month through to his defence of the US Open title in the final grand slam of the year, Eurosport will be there to see if he can enjoy an even better 2016,” Arnaud Simon, Eurosport’s Senior Vice President Content and Production, said.

“It is testament to the insight of Eurosport’s experts that the likes of Spieth, who was a 10 Future Stars nominee a couple of years ago, progressed rapidly to the 2015 Athlete of the Year shortlist, and other nominees are sure to follow in his footsteps.

“Our experts have now selected a new generation of names to emerge as stars in 2016 – which is sure to provide more unforgettable sporting moments – and viewers can follow every step of their progress thanks to Eurosport’s comprehensive and unbeatable coverage.”