A man who took tennis player Kamil Majchrzak’s hat from a young fan at the US Open apologised on social media and said he has returned it.
Piotr Szczerek posted an apology on social media after video of the incident went viral over the weekend.
The broadcast showed Szczerek grabbing Majchrzak’s hat from a boy after the player’s singles match against Karen Khachanov.
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A man is caught on video snatching a match-worn cap from a young fan at the US Open. X
Szczerek, who is from Poland, wrote on Facebook that he made a mistake thinking Majchrzak was giving him the hat for his sons, who had asked earlier for an autograph.
In the post, he said he had apologised personally.
Majchrzak said on social media that he reached out to the boy’s family and met with him to give him a new hat and take photos with him.
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Kamil Majchrzak of Poland during a match against Nick Kyrgios in Tokyo in October. AP Photo/Hiro Komae
The 29-year-old, who is also from Poland, retired from his match on Sunday because of an undisclosed injury.
«In connection with the incident that occurred during Kamill Majchrzak’s match at the US Open, I would like to unequivocally apologise to the young boy, his family, all the fans, and the player himself,» Szczerek, who is the CEO of a Polish paving company, wrote on Facebook.
«I take full responsibility for my extremely poor judgment and hurtful actions. It was never my intent to steal away a prized memento from the young fan. I became caught up in the heat of the moment and the joy of the victory, and I believed Majchrzak was handing a hat to me to give to my sons, who had previously asked for autographs.
«Regardless of what I believed was happening, the actions I took hurt the young boy and disappointed the fans. I have sent the hat back to the boy and extended my sincere apologies to his family. I hope, at least to a small extent, I was able to repair the harm I caused. I also want to state clearly: neither I nor my wife nor my sons commented on this situation on social media or on any other platform. We did not hire any law firm regarding this matter. All statements appearing online accredited to us were false and were not authored by us or our representatives.
«For years, my wife and I have been involved in supporting children and young athletes, but this incident has shown me that a moment of inattention can undo years of work and support. It is a painful but necessary lesson in humility. Going forward, I will engage even more actively in initiatives that support children and youth, and I will take actions against violence and hate. I believe that only through actions can I rebuild the trust I have lost. Once again, I apologise to everyone I let down.
«Please understand — for the sake of my family, I have decided to disable the ability to comment on this post. Sincerely, Piotr Szczerek.»
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