Piotr Szczerek snatched the hat that was intended to go to the child. Photo: Screenshot
A multimillionaire businessman says he made a "huge mistake" after being caught on camera snatching a tennis star's hat from a child at the US Open.
The video, taken during Polish player Kamil Majchrzak's match last week, showed the tennis player offering his cap to a child, before the a man swipes it.
The man was since identified as Piotr Szczerek, the chief executive of the Polish paving company Drogbruk.
The video went viral and the backlash has prompted Szczerek to offer an apology, and an explanation.
"I would like to unequivocally apologise to the injured boy, his family, as well as all the fans and the player himself. I have made a huge mistake," he wrote in a statement posted on social media.
Szczerek said the ordeal was a "misconception", as he thought the tennis player was passing his hat to him to give to his sons who had asked for autographs earlier.
"I know I did something that seemed like consciously collecting a memento from a child. This wasn't my intention, but it doesn't change the fact that I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans," he said.
Szczerek said the hat has been given to the boy and he has apologised to the family.
As for the boy, he was since invited to meet Majchrzak, where the boy was gifted a cap and additional merchandise.
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