A man caught on camera snatching a young boy’s hat during the US Open has admitted he made a “huge mistake,” after footage of the incident quickly went viral.
Piotr Szczerek, a Polish CEO of a paving company, said he had been “convinced” tennis star Kamil Majchrzak was “passing his hat in my direction.”
“I know I did something that seemed like consciously collecting a memento from a child,” Szczerek wrote in a statement. “This wasn’t my intention, but it doesn’t change the fact that I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans.”
The clip, filmed during Majchrzak’s match on Thursday, showed the tennis player offering his cap to a child before Szczerek appeared to grab it.
The video quickly spread across social media, prompting criticism of Szczerek’s actions.
On Monday, the 50-year-old issued a social media apology, “I would like to unequivocally apologise to the injured boy, his family, as well as all the fans and the player himself.” He added that he had returned the hat to the boy and hoped it had “at least partially repaired the damage that was done.”
Majchrzak, 29, who had just secured a win over Russian ninth seed Karen Khachanov when the incident occurred, told the BBC that he believed he “did what most of athletes would do in this kind of situation,” adding he hoped the boy and his family “had a great day.”
He earlier told the New York Post that there may have been some confusion. “I was pointing, giving the hat, but I had a lot going on after my match, after being super tired and super excited for the win,” he said. “I just missed it… I’m sure the guy was also acting in the moment of heat, in the moment of emotions.”
Over the weekend, Majchrzak reunited with the boy, sharing videos on Instagram of him giving the young fan a cap and other merchandise. “Today after warm up, I had a nice meeting,” he wrote. “Do you recognise [the cap]?”
The Polish player, ranked 76th in the world in men’s singles, came from two sets down to beat Khachanov in his second-round match at Flushing Meadows, before retiring injured during his third-round tie against Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi on Saturday. He later confirmed he had torn an intercostal muscle.
Szczerek and his wife Anna founded their paving company, Drogbruk, in 1999, according to Polish outlet Tenis Magazyn. The couple, who have two sons, are amateur tennis players and have competed in local leagues.
Their company also sponsors sporting events and Polish athletes, and the family has hosted tennis pro Urszula Radwańska on their home court.
