Featured Image Credit: @alexiuss11/Twitter
Topics: Sport
Dan Seddon
Reigning US Open champion Jannik Sinner appeared to be accosted by a fan after his victory against Alexander Bublik yesterday (September 1).
The Italian had just swept aside the Russian-Kazakh in straight sets - dropping only three games in a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 obliteration job - when his attention was brought to the adoring fans at Flushing Meadows.
Sinner proceeded to hand one of the attendees his towel as a friendly gesture before taking a selfie with another.
But as he was doing so, the 24-year-old's racquet bag seemed to become the target of an on-court spectator.
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With Sinner's focus diverted away, the man seemingly attempted to help himself to the bag's contents.
Luckily, a nearby security guard spotted the situation unfolding, quickly pushing the man's hand away.
The fan retreated his hands from the zipper and Sinner went on his way, seemingly unbothered.
Posting on X after the clip spread across social media, one user raged: "What a disgusting guy. Attempting open theft when Jannik was taking pics!"
"The standards at this US Open have been in the gutter! Oh my God, what is wrong with people?" asked somebody else, while a third chipped in with: "Just when I think something weirder can't happen at this US Open I see THIS!"
Some suggested the fan could have been trying to zip the bag shut, though they still called the interaction 'super weird'.
This summer's US Open has snatched the headlines for all the wrong reasons; just last week a Polish millionaire named Piotr Szczerek took it upon himself to 'steal' a player's signed cap straight out of a young boy's hands.
In a Facebook message addressing his actions, a remorseful Szczerek shared with the world: "In connection with the incident that occurred during Kamill Majchrzak’s match at the US Open, I would like to unequivocally apologize to the young boy, his family, all the fans, and the player himself.
"I take full responsibility for my extremely poor judgment and hurtful actions. It was never my intent to steal away a prized memento from the young fan. I became caught up in the heat of the moment and the joy of the victory, and I believed Majchrzak was handing a hat to me to give to my sons, who had previously asked for autographs.
"Regardless of what I believed was happening, the actions I took hurt the young boy and disappointed the fans."
He then went on to say that he'd 'sent the hat back to the boy', before adding: "I hope, at least to a small extent, I was able to repair the harm I caused."
Meanwhile, Polish tennis pro Majchrzak, who originally owned the cap, told The New York Post that 'some kind of confusion' had resulted in the awkward moment.
"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. 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," he said.