Why is it so hard to maintain composure in tennis? There is no team or person on the sideline to cushion the blow of a missed shot at a critical time. There is noone to pull you out of that frustrating place when you can’t seem to find your shots. The truth is you are exposed at all times; there is nowhere to hide when things aren’t going your way. You are all alone out there to deal with the emotional ups and downs. And even pros are far from being immune to mental meltdowns. The primal screams and self-incrimination of Safin, Ivanisevic and McEnroe will forever be etched in our minds. Let’s also not forget Serena’s tirade at the US Open that almost got her banned from the Australian Open.

But, as we see time and time again, cultivating composure is critical if you want to perform at your peak-consistently.

It’s hard to maintain composure because whether we like it or not we have expectations, a standard with which we measure ourselves. When we don’t meet these expectations the frustration and disappointment are immediate. We make it or we miss it. We win or lose the point. Black and white. There’s also a lot of uncertainty in sports, particularly tennis. We don’t know how it is going to finish. We want to win but there is always a question of whether it will happen or not. This creates tension. We don’t do well with uncertainty. We have to be patient even though our mind wants a result. Embracing this tension and accepting whatever is thrown at us is part of the process to begin cultivating composure.

There are a lot of potential distractions on the court–our own thoughts, our opponent’s shift in tactic, bad line calls, spectators booing (as in the ridiculous case of Venus coming a few minutes late to the court). It doesn’t take much to throw us off our game especially if we aren’t prepared for it.

After Zvonareva dispatched Clijsters and Pironkova over the last two days she was asked about how she handled the first few games against Pironkova when she wasn’t playing all that well. “I am confident in myself that I will find my rhythm after a few minutes. I give it time. I’m just trying to keep my concentration and go for my shots. I am trying to make it difficult for her by staying aggressive….I know I won’t play my best tennis everyday, but I’m going out there and trying.”

Part of composure requires self-belief. If things aren’t going well, you need to believe that you can turn it around. You need to know what you need to do, even if it’s not working YET. Zvonareva knows exactly how she needs to be–aggressive, patient and composed. She did not panic or rush. I can’t empahsize enough how important it is to be truly clear about what is most important for your game to keep it or get it back on track. Focusing on what you control is the hallmark of composure. As I said, there are too many potential distractions–mostly things out of your control–so getting your mind focused on productive “cues” or “swing thoughts” (i.e. forward, stepping in, dictate, etc…) will help you keep your composure. It will keep your mind engaged. When you get frustrated you are actually disengaging from the moment, judging it, and losing access to the keys that will actually right the ship.

Composure is much more than managing pent up emotions (sometimes it may actually be useful to let it out as long as it doesn’t “contaminate” the next point). Composure is about believing in your ability, believing that you can turn things around, and accepting, even embracing, the uncertainty of the outcome. Accept whatever shows up, stay productive with clear intention of your game plan and the negativity will begin to fade. You will also feel more in control of yourself, which will give you that dose of confidence to manage any loss of rhythm or early break in the first set. When you feel the sting in your heart after that missed return, remember there are many points to play and you can’t afford to waste energy on the last point–which is now history.