Carlos Alcaraz joined by gay USTA First Vice President Brian Vahaly, his husband & kids for coin toss as part of US Open's annual Pride event

Ahead of Carlos Alcaraz and Lloyd Harris' second-round clash at the 2023 US Open, USTA First Vice President and former player Brian Vahaly and his family joined the two players for the coin toss.

Alcaraz's title defense at Flushing Meadows got off to a less-than-ideal start as his first-round opponent, Dominik Koepfer, suffered an ankle injury just six games into the match. Despite battling through until mid-way into the second set, the German was forced to retire with the scoreline at 6-2, 3-2 in the Spaniard's favor.

After advancing to the second round, the top seed locked horns with South Africa's Lloyd Harris for a place in the third round on Thursday, August 31.

Carlos Alcaraz and Lloyd Harris were joined by former player and current First Vice President of the USTA, Brian Vahaly for the coin toss before the match. Vahaly was accompanied by his husband Bill, along with their twin sons, Parker and Bennett.

After the coin toss went Alcaraz's way and he opted to receive, both players posed for the cameras alongside Vahaly and his family. The US Open's official social media handle shared a clip of the coin toss and commemorated the event as part of the Major's third annual Open Pride celebration.

"Celebrating (Pride flag) at the #USOpen," the post was captioned.

Alcaraz defeated Harris 6-3, 6-1, 7-6(4) to advance to the third round at the US Open. With the win, the Spaniard improved to a 13-1 win/loss record at Flushing Meadows and a 55-6 record for the season overall.

Following his win, the 20-year-old expressed satisfaction with his performance and emphasized the significance of getting through the initial rounds without dropping a set.

"I think we did great points. That’s what we are looking for in every match – to make the people enjoy watching tennis and I think we did it pretty well today," Carlos Alcaraz said. "It was good for me to stay there and to be able to win in straight sets–it’s really important for me in the [early] rounds."

Carlos Alcaraz to lock horns with Dan Evans in US Open 3R

Carlos Alcaraz

Following his win over Lloyd Harris, Carlos Alcaraz will lock horns with Great Britain's Dan Evans for a spot in the fourth round on Saturday, September 2. The Spaniard enjoys a perfect 2-0 head-to-head record against the Brit. He won their most recent encounter in the 2023 Barcelona Open semifinals in straight sets.

Evans kicked off his US Open campaign with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 win over Daniel Elahi Galan. In the second round, he rallied back from a set down against Botic van de Zandschulp, winning 1-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 to book his spot against the defending champion.

Should Carlos Alcaraz emerge victorious over Dan Evans, he will take on the winner of the match between Cameron Norrie and Matteo Arnaldi in the fourth round.