In Greek mythology, Atlas famously bore the weight of the world on his shoulders. There were times during Iga Swiatek’s 75-week reign as the Hologic WTA Tour’s No.1-ranked player that her burden seemed similarly heavy.

But when Swiatek lost to Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round of the US Open, Aryna Sabalenka became the recipient of all the joys and complications that come with the top ranking. In her past two matches at the China Open in Beijing, against Top 10 players Coco Gauff and Caroline Garcia, Swiatek played with an undeniable freedom.

That’s not a coincidence.

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“It’s just easier,” Swiatek told reporters. “You can keep your focus better and longer. You don’t have any thoughts that are kind of messing with your head. Sometimes it’s even easier to run or easier to technically do something because it goes more naturally.

“I feel like overall I’m more loosened up. I feel more free.”

Sunday, on the Diamond Court of the National Tennis Center, the No.2 Swiatek meets unseeded Liudmila Samsonova in the final of the season’s last WTA 1000 event (7:30 p.m., local time). In the semifinals, Swiatek defeated No.3 Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-3 while Samsonova was a 7-6(7), 6-3 winner over No. 5 Elena Rybakina.

Let’s break it down:

The case for Swiatek

Step away from the whole No.1 thing and consider what she’s accomplished over the past two years. Swiatek has won a total of 50 WTA 1000 matches -- something only players named Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams have accomplished since the format was introduced in 2009.

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OK, just one more: Swiatek is the youngest player to reach her 20th WTA-level final since Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka in 2010.

It’s easy to forget she turned 22 at the end of May.

Swiatek holds a 2-0 head-to-head edge over Samsonova; the second coming in February, a 6-1, 6-0 demolition in Dubai. Swiatek broke her serve five times and did not face a break herself.

The bad news for Samsonova? Swiatek served the lights out against Gauff, winning 32 of her 40 service points. She didn’t experience a break point. Serving, she said, has been a point of emphasis in recent practices.

“For sure at this tournament I feel like I’m serving better,” Swiatek said. “I had matches during this season where I felt like, `Yeah, I was serving great, and I wish I had that kind of form in terms of my serve every match.’ It was up and down.”

Clearly, Swiatek’s head is in a good place. She has more match wins than anybody this year (62) and has beaten unseeded players 40 of 43 times. After losing her last two WTA 1000 finals, in Dubai and Madrid, Swiatek will be keen to take this one.

The case for Samsonova

Safe to say, the 24-year-old has found her stride. Beating Rybakina for the fourth time in four tries (she struck 33 winners) is a nice way to sail into your second WTA 1000 final in less than two months.

A win over Swiatek would vault her to No.11 on Monday, a career high.

For Samsonova, a selective memory will be critical. She has to forget that beatdown in Dubai -- and remember the first time she played Swiatek in the 2022 Stuttgart semifinals.

“I liked a lot the way that I step on the court in Stuttgart against her,” Samsonova said, “because I step, like, `I’m playing against the No.1, so let’s see and let’s try to do my best. No pressure, nothing.’

“When I’m mentally like that, I can play my best tennis.”

In her post-match press conference, she said her serve and, perhaps more importantly, the return, hold the keys to the match.

Samsonova has some terrific karma going for her; she’s won her past six matches against Grand Slam champions. She could become the third player this season to defeat four major winners in a single tournament, following Ons Jabeur and Elina Svitolina.