The footage, shared on Instagram on Aug. 31, showed a young boy in the stands as Polish tennis player Kamil Majchrzak offered his hat to him after his second-round match on Aug. 29. As the boy reached out to claim the hat, a man, later identified as Szczerek, the CEO of Polish landscaping company Drogbruk, reportedly grabbed the hat from Majchrzak’s hands before the boy could take it, according to US Weekly.

Despite the child’s visible disappointment and efforts to protest, Szczerek appeared to ignore him. He was seen checking the hat before placing it into a friend’s bag, while the boy continued to appeal for it back. The friend of the man appeared to smile as she looked down at Majchrzak, who had reportedly won his match against Russian player Karen Khachanov.

In an interview with the New York PostMajchrzak confirmed the incident, describing it as “obviously some kind of confusion.” The tennis player, who had been exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed from his win, admitted that he had not fully realized what had happened when he was handing the hat to the child.

“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,” Majchrzak 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 clarified that Szczrek sponsors his tennis federation in Poland.

Following the incident, a statement attributed to Szczerek circulated online, though its authenticity remains unverified. The statement explained that the situation had caused “a disproportionate uproar,” and defended Szczerek’s actions, stating, “Yes, I took it. Yes, I did it quickly. But as I’ve always said, life is first come, first served. Let’s not make a global scandal out of the hat. It’s just a hat. If you were faster, you would have it.”