Many of the headlines coming out the U.S. Open focus on the top names in the sport, like Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic and Jessica Pegula.

But part of what makes the tournament so special, are the storylines from some of the game’s lesser-known players, hoping to get their shot at greatness.

For many players, it’s a lifelong journey, fighting to break through and make a name for themselves.

That includes Jamie Loeb, a tennis pro who grew up in Westchester and trains in the South Bronx.

Loeb is ranked 271 in the world right now. She’s seen incredible success at the collegiate level and is continuing to claw her way up in the women’s rankings.

“It’s electric, there’s so much energy, there’s so much to do, fans really get into it,” Loeb said of the U.S. Open. “It’s loud, it’s intimate at the same time. This is what you dream of, this is what I dreamed of as a little kid as well.”

For Loeb, this dream hatched earlier than perhaps even she remembers.

“I think I had a racquet when I was in the womb,” said Loeb.

“She did,” said her mother, Susan Loeb. “I was two weeks late having her and I was playing tennis ‘til the very end.”

“I just remember sitting on a ping pong table before I could even walk, and having one of my brothers feed me balls and my other brother holding me and my sister probably retrieving the balls,” Jamie said.

The youngest of four, Jamie grew up with three older siblings — all who played competitive tennis.

“I just loved it,” Susan said. “Of course, I couldn’t watch them play because I was too nervous so I would be out in the parking lot.”

Mom and dad play, too.

But Jamie was different.

“I think my very first tournament I played I was 7 turning 8,” Jamie said.

She dominated in juniors, won a state championship as a high school sophomore, then went on to play at the University of North Carolina, where she won an NCAA singles title her sophomore year.

That granted her a wildcard entry into the main draw of the 2015 U.S. Open, where she made her professional debut on one of the most iconic courts in the sport.

“Playing Caroline Wozniacki on Arthur Ashe, 11 AM,” Jamie said. “I was feeling good, I felt like, ‘Okay, this is exciting.’ And then, right before I went on, I turned to my coach, I go, ‘I just got nervous.’”

“When I walked on court I was looking around, like, ‘Oh, this is a big stadium.’ I also had to tell myself during the match, ‘Just don’t look up, stay very centered and focused,’ because I did see on one of the changeovers, they were showing people that were there, and Derek Jeter was there, and I’m a huge Yankees fan, ‘I was like, ‘Oh my God Jamie, stay calm.’”

But in this sport, those highs are few and far between.

Jamie wouldn’t make it into the main singles draw of the U.S. Open again for another six years.

When she finally did —

“I played Iga Swiatek, who was number 1 in the world, first round, so tough draw,” she said.

A few months later, she suffered a pair of tough setbacks: a torn calf, and a sprained ankle.

“It’s grueling, it’s tough, it’s a cutthroat sport,” Jamie said.

It’s also an expensive sport.

The prize money at smaller tournaments doesn’t always make up for the cost of even getting there.

“If you win, you win maybe $5,000 or $6,000,” said Susan.

Which is why, for players like Jamie who are right on the cusp, the Grand Slams aren’t just opportunities to break through, but also to break even.

“When she played Iga and she got into, after qualifying, to the first round, that was $75,000,” Susan said. “That’s basically what you can make for the whole year.”

“Everyone wants it as badly as the other person, everyone is good, everyone is talented,” said Jamie. “It’s tough and it can be very, very lonely.”

Lucky for Jamie, she has Jay Devashetty in her corner. He’s been coaching her since she was 8.

“The goal is to be ready, no matter what, when the opportunity comes along, be ready for it,” Devashetty said.

And the U.S. Open is proving to be that latest opportunity for Jamie after receiving a last-minute wild card entry into the women’s doubles draw.

When asked how bad her mom wants this for her, Susan got emotional.

“So bad,” Susan said. “Very, very bad. I just feel she deserves it.”

In a sport of bad breaks, where one point, one stroke, one bounce, can be the difference between making it and not, Jamie’s not done fighting to be here. Not yet.

“I’m very determined and I know I have more to accomplish,” she said. “I always say, ‘I’m going to play until I have no regrets,’ and I still know I have a lot left in me.”

Jamie and her doubles partner Makenna Jones play in the first round of the main doubles draw Wednesday at 11 a.m.