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Kamil Majchrzak has located the young boy who was heartbroken after a man swiped a souvenir cap meant for him following the Pole’s remarkable US Open triumph.
The 29-year-old, who achieved the biggest victory of his career by defeating No 9 seed Karen Khachanov in an epic five-set match on Thursday, was caught on camera removing his cap to give it to a child in the crowd on Court 11.
However, in a scene that quickly became viral, a man next to the boy reached for the cap and tucked it into his bag — leaving the child visibly disappointed and questioning ‘what are you doing?’ while Majchrzak moved away, unaware of the situation.
The clip sparked fury online with fans branding the man ‘selfish’ and ‘a jerk’ for stealing a moment that should have belonged to a child.
Majchrzak moved to put things right on Friday, taking to Instagram to appeal for help in finding the boy.
‘After the match I didn’t record that my cap didn’t get to the boy,’ he wrote. ‘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.’
Kamil Majchrzak was signing tried to give his cap to a young boy, but a man snatched it away
The disappointed young boy was seen asking ‘what are you doing?’ after the man took the cap
Just hours later, the Polish star confirmed the boy had been located. Sharing the same pictures of the incident on his story, he added: ‘I am impressed by the power of the internet. We got it! All good now.’
Despite the happy resolution, there has been a rising backlash against the hat grabber.
A supposed defense of the hat grabber’s actions appeared online from someone posting on website Go Work claiming to be the CEO’s legal representative.
The lengthy post on LinkedIn, purporting to be by a Swedish legal firm’s partner, insisted that the filmed ‘actions were neither unlawful nor reprehensible’.
The online comment added: ‘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.
‘It was therefore not about “taking away”, but about highlighting the importance of looking after what one is given.
‘In this sense, the incident takes on the character of symbolic upbringing through experience – the child, instead of passively receiving an item, was engaged in a situation that taught greater awareness and gratitude.
‘For this reason, portraying the entire event in negative terms is not only incorrect but also unfair.’
The statement led many to believe the writer could, in fact, be the hat stealer.
Yet the post was later deleted, with the legal official telling people he had been falsely misrepresented.
A post on the quoted lawyer’s LinkedIn page later said: ‘In connection with the publicly appearing statements about the incident with the cap at the US Open, I would like to inform you: I do NOT have an account on GoWork, and the opinions published there under my name are NOT my opinions.
The selfish man then stashed the cap in his bag before the player realised what was happening
‘I have taken legal action to block this content.’
The heart-warming resolution capped a dramatic 24 hours for Majchrzak, whose on-court exploits have already made headlines in New York.
On Thursday he produced a performance of extraordinary grit to topple Khachanov 2-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(5) in four and a half hours — saving five match points along the way.
It marked his first win over a Top 10 opponent and matched his best-ever run at the US Open, where he is now into the third round.
Khachanov, who had beaten Majchrzak at Wimbledon in July, appeared in full control after taking the first two sets, breaking twice in the opener and edging a tight second in a tiebreak.
But the Pole refused to fold, taking the third set as errors crept into his opponent’s game.
He held firm again in the fourth before breaking late to force a decider, and even when Khachanov opened a 5-3 lead and served for the match, Majchrzak dug deep to fend off three match points and break back.
Two more slipped away for Khachanov in the next game as Majchrzak again refused to yield, ultimately forcing a deciding tiebreak.
Majchrzak issued a plea for his followers to help him identify the boy – and it quickly worked
There he raced into an early lead and, despite brief resistance from the Russian, held his nerve to complete a famous comeback 10-5.
‘This is the biggest win of my career,’ Majchrzak said afterwards. ‘It shows I can compete with the very best and gives me so much belief.’
His reward is a third-round meeting with Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi, ranked 435 in the world but also coming off a giant-killing win after upsetting No 19 seed Francisco Cerundolo.
Victory would see Majchrzak reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time.
