Serena Williams’ first-round Wimbledon win: Which matters more, physical prowess or mental toughness?

Winning isn’t as easy as it looks. And for those watching tennis star Serena Williams sob with relief after defeating Aravane Rezai in the first round at Wimbledon on Tuesday it didn’t look so easy either.

Williams has plenty of reason — she has suffered several serious injuries, including cutting her feet on glass, and a pulmonary embolism, and intimated that many worse things had happened. And she appeared to struggle before prevailing in her match Tuesday.

Williams’ success showed that when it comes to winning, the mind may matter more than many think. Studies back this up. A paper presented at the American Pyschological Assn.’s 1999 convention found that coaches prioritized their young athletes’ mental readiness for their sport more than the youngsters’ natural physical gifts.

A book published last year, “Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To,” deals with the concept of “choking” — suddenly bombing under pressure despite being physically capable — and found that athletes could be mentally trained to avoid the controlling behaviors that lead to that fatal mental lockdown.

A 2009 study in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology found that high-level golfers with healthy emotional support (someone to talk to, provide encouragement and help with logistics, for example) had improved performances by nearly two strokes per round, which could make a big difference on the back nine of the final round.

One possible example of the mental mattering more than the physical: Tiger Woods, once almost unbeatable, who hasn’t won a tournament since his 2009 sex scandal and subsequent divorce.

Is physical prowess or psychological readiness the better predictor of sports success? Post your thoughts below. As for Serena’s performance, we’ll see as Wimbledon progresses.

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