CEO forced to issue apology after he was caught on-camera ‘stealing’ from child at US Open

Hell hath no fury like the internet, and a millionaire CEO has issued a grovelling apology after footage of him at the US Open went viral.

First, it was a couple captured in a clinch at the Coldplay gig on the Jumbotron, and now, Polish CEO Piotr Szczerek is the latest caught on camera to be tracked down by internet sleuths.

Tennis star Kamil Majchrzak had just defeated Karen Khachanov in the second round at the US Open last week when he went over to the crowd to celebrate.

Overjoyed from his five-set win, the Polish tennis ace was signing balls for the audience when a young boy, named Brock, asked for his cap.

Footage saw Majchrzak handing him the cap, but a man next to him in the stands then appeared to snatch it from the child's hands with a beaming smile and put it in a bag, while the heartbroken little boy burst into tears.

Sport fans shared the footage online and demanded to know who the culprit was, and he was soon identified as Piotr Szczerek, the CEO of a Polish paving company.

After social media users, the CEO has shared an apology online, calling the moment a 'huge mistake'.

According to the Mirror, a statement has been posted on Facebook, which reads: "Due to the situation that happened during Kamil Majchrzak's match at the US Open, I would like to clearly apologise to the injured boy, his family, as well as all the fans and the player himself."

He continued: "I have made a huge mistake. In emotions, in the crowd rejoicing after the victory, I was convinced the tennis player tips his hat in my direction - to my sons who have asked for autographs earlier."

"The misconception caused me to pull out my hand. Today I know I did something that looked like a deliberate collection of the child's souvenir. This was not my intention, but it doesn't change the fact I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans."

He added: "For years, my wife and I have been engaged in helping children and young athletes, but this situation has shown I think that one moment of disregard can ruin years of work and support.

"It hurts for me, but a needed lesson in humility. I believe that only through actions can rebuild what has been lost trust. Again, I'm sorry to anyone I disappointed. Please understand - for my family's sake - I decided to turn off the option comments on this post."

When Majchrzak realised what had happened, he shared his horror on Instagram, typing: "After the match I didn't record that my cap didn't get to the boy.

"Thanks to Asics Tennis 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."

He followed up, posting again with: "I am impressed by the power of the Internet. We got it! All good now."

The tale had a happy ending for the young boy, though, who had the opportunity to meet Majchrzak the next day.

The tennis player, ranked 76th in the world, posed for photos with Brock.

"Today after warm up, I had a nice meeting," Majchrzak wrote on Instagram, quipping: "Do you recognise [the cap]?"

In another post, he added: "Hello World, together with Brock we wish you a great day!"

Unfortunately for Majchrzak, he later had to pull out of the third round match on Saturday due to injury.