Footage taken at the US Open allegedly showed millionaire CEO Piotr Szczerek snatching a souvenir hat away from a child.
The video, posted via Instagram on Sunday, August 31, captured a young boy positioned in the stands as Polish tennis pro Kamil Majchrzak signed autographs and took his hat off to offer it to the boy after his second round match on Friday, August 29.
Before the boy was able to retrieve the keepsake, a man, who the New York Post reported to be the CEO of Polish-based landscaping company Drogbruk, was seen snatching the hat out of Majchrzak’s hands.
Us Weekly has reached out to a representative for Szczerek for comment.
Visibly disappointed to lose his intended gift to the man standing beside him, the youngster was seen protesting towards the man, holding an arm out in an effort to retrieve the hat for himself.
The man was, however, committed to keeping the momento, and turned away from the child as he inspected the inside of the accessory before placing it inside a friend’s bag. As the child continued to protest, the man continued to ignore the child. The man’s friend was also seen grinning as she gazed down at Majchrzak, 29, with the hat stored safely in her bag.
The New York Post reported on the mystery man’s identity on Friday, August 30, noting that Majchrzak, who defeated Russian pro Karen Khachanov during the match, told the outlet that Szczerek had taken his hat.
The outlet quoted Majchrzak, who told them the incident was “obviously … some kind of confusion.” Majchrzak also provided a recount of what went down but admitted that he was not across the snatch itself.
“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. I just missed it,” the tennis player reportedly said. “I had, like, a dead look, if you know what I mean. I’m sure the guy was also acting in the moment of heat, in the moment of emotions.”
Majchrzak also told the outlet that Szczerek “sponsors his tennis federation in Poland.”
In the wake of the video circulating online, a statement linked to Szczerek went viral on Sunday. While the validity of the statement has not been confirmed, it explained the incident as causing “a disproportionate uproar.”
Shared via the same Instagram post that featured footage of the incident itself, the statement continued, “It’s all about the famous hat, of course. Yes, I took it. Yes, I did it quickly. But as I’ve always said, life is first come, first served.”
It also noted, “Let’s not make a global scandal out of the hat. It’s just a hat. If you were faster, you would have it.”
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