Ion Tiriac backs Carlos Alcaraz to replace the Big Three, endorses Spaniard as a future World No.1

Former tennis player Ion Tiriac has said the sport needs Carlos Alcaraz to replace the 'big three' of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz has enjoyed a stellar 12 months, sealing two ATP 1000 titles and rising to No. 6 in the world at just 19 years of age. After reaching the quarter-finals at the US Open and French Open, he is already being tipped as a future Grand Slam champion and a successor to Nadal.

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Tiriac has thrown his support behind the Spaniard and backed him for success with Wimbledon right around the corner.

"A future No. 1," he said, as reported by Eurosport Spain. "And I hope he is also a great character because tennis is going to need a great character in the place of these three who are leaving."

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The sport has struggled to replace the likes of Nadal and Djokovic, who continue to dominate at Grand Slams despite playing into their mid-30s. A generation of tennis stars have failed to challenge their supremacy, but Tiriac believes the likes of Alcaraz and Holger Rune can finally topple the outgoing elites.

"There are people like Alcaraz. Like Rune, who can be a great player but has a few problems, his mother, this and that, but he hits the ball very well," he added. "The new generation is coming for sure."