The tennis world is up in arms after a grown man snatched Polish tennis star Kamil Majchrzak’s match-worn hat from a young fan at the US Open on Saturday (AEDT).
After the 29-year-old pulled off one of the biggest upsets of this year’s US Open by beating No. 9 seed Karen Khachanov, Majchrzak spent plenty of time signing merchandise, including balls, hats and shirts for eager fans.
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One young boy was particularly keen to get a signature from the tennis star, handing a giant ball for him to sign.
Taken aback by his enthusiasm and energy, Majchrzak took off his hat to hand to the boy as he continued down the line of fans.
However, the adult next to him snatched the memento away and swiftly shoved it in his wife’s bag.
“What are you doing?” the boy yelled at the man.
The man appeared to ignore the child, while Majchrzak continued signing autographs, oblivious to what had happened.
The child could be seen pleading with the couple to give him the hat back, but they just nervously laughed before the man handed him a pen.
The tennis world was quick to call out the incident on social media, with the fan’s behaviour described as ‘disgusting’ by viewers.
However, after footage of the incident was circulated on social media, Majchrzak addressed the situation on Saturday, asking fans to help him rectify the situation.
“After the match, I didn’t record that my cap didn’t get to the boy,” the 29-year-old tennis star posted on Instagram, with screenshots of the heartbroken young fan.
“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.”
The boy was found only an hour later, with the Polish star admitting he was “impressed by the power of the internet.”
Majchrzak will face qualifier Leandro Riedi for a spot in the fourth round on Sunday (AEDT), which would mark his best-ever result at the US Open.
He previously reached the third round in 2019, losing in straight sets to Grigor Dimitrov.