The accolades continue to mount up for Andy Murray, who will begin the 2017 season as Sir Andy Murray after clamours for him to be knighted were answered.
The honour comes after he ended a remarkable season as the first British player ever to be ranked world singles number one.
To sit at the top of the standings in an era dominated by three of the greatest players of all time is surely his greatest achievement and something even the man himself felt was unlikely until not long ago.
Between them, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal hogged top spot for almost 13 years.
As recently as June, when Djokovic became the first man in 47 years to hold all four grand slam titles at the same time, the Serbian's lead appeared unassailable.
But Murray was imperious in the months that followed, winning Wimbledon, Olympic gold and then successive titles in Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna, Paris and finally at the ATP World Tour Finals in London.
His path to the summit has, of course, been helped by outside factors.
If the French Open was the high point of Djokovic's career, the aftermath was a feeling of burn-out and loss of motivation that led to a significant dip in his level.
Federer and Nadal, meanwhile, were taken out of the equation by injury, with Murray not facing either since May.
But it would be tough to find anyone in tennis who begrudges Murray his place at the top of the tree - especially after he toppled Djokovic in London to take the ranking into 2017.
The 29-year-old is the oldest first-time number one since John Newcombe in 1974, a year after the rankings system was put in place.
Murray has been relentless in trying to wring every last drop out of his talent and never afraid to make bold decisions.
One of those was appointing Ivan Lendl as his coach ahead of the 2012 season, leading to his first two grand slam titles, and it is no coincidence his second great period sees Lendl in his corner once again.
But the signs were there to a degree before Murray lured the eight-time grand slam champion away from his home in Florida and back on tour.
Despite not winning a grand slam title, 2015 had arguably been the best of his career until this year's stunning exploits, with his consistency helping him finish a season ranked number two for the first time.
A blip following the birth of Murray's daughter Sophia in February was followed by a brilliant clay-court season under the guidance of assistant coach Jamie Delgado, another key figure.
The Scot's second serve, previously his biggest weakness, was much improved along with his forehand while the two years he spent with Amelie Mauresmo helped him rediscover the natural variety in his game.
The extra belief only Lendl appears able to give him was the last piece of the puzzle and, following their reunion, he went on a 22-match unbeaten run that took in a second Wimbledon title and Olympic gold.
If Murray's 2013 Wimbledon triumph and the dramatic finale to his win over Djokovic will surely remain his defining moment, this year's success was a demonstration of his supreme talents.
Aside from a tense quarter-final against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Murray was never troubled in SW19 and dominated first-time slam finalist Milos Raonic in a way Federer and Djokovic have previously done to him.
There was nothing straightforward about his victory over Juan Martin del Potro in Rio but in taking gold he claimed a piece of tennis history for himself - the first player ever to win two Olympic singles titles.
The coup de grace was his domination of the sport to finish the year, surpassing his career-best winning run again with 24 straight victories, and Murray's remarkable exploits saw him become the first person to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year for a third time.
Topping 2016 will be tough, but one thing is certain - Murray will be giving his all.
Source: PA
