Polish tennis star Kamil Majchrzak met a young fan and gifted him a cap after a viral video showed a man snatching a hat from the boy at the US Open, bringing a positive resolution to an incident that sparked online outrage. The heartwarming encounter occurred on Saturday, following Majchrzak’s search for the child after the video went viral.
The incident took place on Thursday after Majchrzak’s second-round victory over Karen Khachanov. As the player was signing souvenirs for the crowd, he offered his cap to a young boy, but a man standing next to the child abruptly snatched it away and gave it to a woman, ignoring the boy’s protests. The video of this exchange quickly spread across social media platforms, with one post alone garnering over 10 million views and drawing widespread criticism from users who condemned the man’s actions.
Social media users identified the individual as Piotr Szczerek, a Polish CEO, leading to a backlash against his company with hundreds of negative reviews on Trustpilot referencing the incident. Majchrzak, upon seeing the video, took to Instagram to launch a search for the boy, posting a message asking for help in locating him. The internet community responded swiftly, and within a short time, the child was found.
On Saturday, Majchrzak met the young fan, named Brock, after his warm-up session. He presented the boy with a US Open-branded bag of gifts, including a new cap similar to the one that was snatched, and they posed for photos together. Majchrzak shared the encounter on his Instagram stories, writing, “Today after warm up, I had a nice meeting. Do you recognize [the cap]?” and in another post, “Hello world, together with Brock, we wish you a great day.”
The meeting provided an uplifting conclusion to the situation, with Majchrzak expressing appreciation for the online assistance that made it possible. Meanwhile, Majchrzak’s own tournament journey was cut short due to a torn intercostal muscle that forced him to retire during his third-round match against Leandro Riedi. Despite this setback, his sportsmanship and kindness towards the young fan garnered positive attention, contrasting with the earlier negative incident.
The episode underscores the powerful role of social media in amplifying such events and facilitating resolutions, while also highlighting the importance of integrity and compassion in sports. Majchrzak’s actions demonstrate how athletes can positively influence their fans and communities beyond their performance on the court.