Local girl Kristie Ahn’s U.S. Open run — just two miles from where she was born — came to an end on Monday in the round of 16. But it showed her budding tennis career doesn’t have to.

Elise Mertens rolled past Ahn 6-1, 6-1 at Louis Armstrong Stadium, but it won’t keep Ahn from becoming one of the feel-good story of this U.S. Open or finally cracking the top 100.

“It was weird because I felt like I wasn’t playing badly. I looked at the scoreboard, [and] I’m like, ‘You’re getting whupped,’ ” Ahn said.

Still, after a decade spent dealing with injuries and doubt, this breakthrough season has validated her call to stick with the sport.

Born in Flushing Hospital and living in tony Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Ahn was a strong student who played at Stanford. Despite getting a wild card to the U.S. Open at 16, she didn’t get back to the main draw here until now — 11 years later.

Over that span, her parents encouraged her to put away the tennis racket and get a corporate racket. But the importance of being the first Asian-American to make a Grand Slam round of 16 since 2000 isn’t lost on Ahn.

“This is why I play: to hopefully reach out to those Asian-Americans,” Ahn said. “We’re a small community, but a lot of our parents are immigrants so we feel the same way, had similar upbringings.

“[It shows] you can strive, you can have both: You can have the education, keep your parents happy, but also be able to have your own ambitions and go for it.”

In a loss to the 25th-ranked Mertens, the result wasn’t a surprise even if the margin was. Ahn came in having never won a match at a major, and ranked 141st in the world. She’ll crack the top 100 after this run.

“It feels good. At the same time I want more, versus in 2017 I would’ve thrown a party for making top 100,” said Ahn, who hopes this will let her play a more WTA-heavy slate.

Ahn had 25 unforced errors to just nine winners. She quickly fell behind 3-0 before holding with a forehand winner and trying to fight back. But she dropped the first set 6-1 and the second by the same margin.

Bertens moves on to play Bianca Andreescu. Still, being one of the last dozen women in the field has buoyed Ahn’s confidence.

“That’s something I’m trying to get better: Holding my head up high, being proud that I am one of the 12, not just like, ‘Oh my God, googly-eyed, I can’t believe I’m here.’ It’s being able to own it, walk the walk as well,” said Ahn, who did still have a fangirl moment sharing locker space with Serena Williams.

“She said, ‘Kristie Ahn.’ I spun around. I’m like, ‘She knows who I am!’ … I’m always going to be star struck from seeing her. [But] definitely this gives the confidence that no matter who I step out on court with I can believe in myself. … The belief is finally starting to come together finally.”