SINGAPORE – After she was touted to be a future world No. 1 by Andy Murray in 2011 when she was just 17, Caroline Garcia struggled to deal with the pressure and expectations that were inadvertently piled on her by the Scottish tennis star.

Four years later, the 22-year-old Frenchwoman, who is one of the four players in town to compete in the WTA Rising Stars tournament which starts today at the OCBC Arena, told TODAY that she is finally ready to embrace the tag.

Garcia had burst into the tennis scene in 2011 as a teenage wildcard ranked No. 188, and was on the verge of pulling off one of the biggest upsets in French Open history against Maria Sharapova.

Even though the Russian former world No. 1 overcame her in the end, Garcia’s raw talent caught the eye of many, and led Murray to remark on Twitter that, “the girl Sharapova is playing is going be No.1 in the world one day. What a player. You heard it here first.”

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova also gushed about Garcia, saying “she has the the goods” to be a top player.

But Garcia, who is now ranked 35th in the world, said during a visit to CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) yesterday that she did not take to the plaundits too well.

“The first two years since then, especially, was very difficult because I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Garcia told TODAY.

“People were suddenly expecting way too much of me, but I was not ready for it. My tennis was not ready, and my mentality was not ready.

“But it was an experience and now I can deal better with it. There was pressure, but now I am used to it. I am ready to prove (that I can be no.1), I am working to reach there, and I hope I will do it.”

Garcia’s performances this season indicate that she’s on the right track. Aparting from reaching a career-high ranking of 25 in March, some of her notable performances include scalping two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova at the Cinncinnati Open in August, and then booting world no.6 Agnieszka Radwanska out of the Wuhan Open a month later.

Her short-term goal, for now, is to break into top 10 and qualify for the main WTA Finals singles tournament. She is still involved in the season-ending tournament in Singapore, albeit in the Doubles competition with partner Katarina Srebotnik.

“It is very difficult (to reach the WTA Finals) because you have to play your best and be consistent all season long. Not everyone can do it,” she said.

“But this year I did it in the doubles, so I know it is possible.”