US Open sensation Kamil Majchrzak eventually managed to get a souvenir cap to a young fan and also meet the heartbroken boy after witnessing one being snatched from his grasp. Majchrzak pulled off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets so far by defeating ninth seed Karen Khachanov. Following his victory, supporters were eager to secure a memento from the match.
Crowds gathered around hoping for autographs and photographs with the US Open’s newest breakthrough star. One youngster in particular succeeded in getting his ball signed and was given Majchrzak’s cap. However, before he could secure it, an adult beside him grabbed it from his hands and stuffed it into his own bag. The lad could be heard asking “what are you doing?” as he tried to retrieve the cap. But his attempts proved futile.
The clip quickly went viral, with numerous people condemning the man’s behaviour. Taking to social media, one X user wrote: “Stealing from a child is completely disgusting,” whilst another replied: “That is called stealing property that doesn’t belong to you, and that is no man a coward, a bully, and a cheat taking from a child? ? New low.”
The incident footage eventually reached Majchrzak, who responded on Instagram. He wrote: “After the match I didn’t record that my cap didn’t get to the boy. Thanks to @asicstennis I’ve got enough caps, so I’m prepared for that. Hey guys, could you help me find the kid from my match. If it’s you (or your parents see this), please send me a DM.”
It appears that he managed to resolve the situation shortly after as he added: “I am impressed by the power of the Internet. We got it! All good now.”
Majchrzak also shared a clip of him meeting the child and his mum on Instagram, writing: “Today after warm up, I had a nice meeting. Do you recognise [cap emoji]?”
A partner from a Swedish legal firm, purporting to represent the gentleman – identified online as a chief executive of a major corporation which Express Sport have been unable to verify – composed an extensive statement defending his behaviour.
It asserted that his “actions were neither unlawful nor reprehensible”, before stating: “On the contrary – they can be understood as an educational gesture and a form of teaching for a young person.
“First of all, the cap was not of such value that one could speak of any ‘loss’. It was an everyday item, which ultimately was handed over to the child. Thus, the child was not deprived of the item but received it.
“Secondly, the very act of temporarily taking the cap and then giving it back can be interpreted as a lesson in respect for gifted items.”
However, a post on the solicitor’s LinkedIn profile indicated that the statement was not actually shared by them and it has since been removed.