World No. 1 tennis star tries to hand a towel to a fan; another spectator attempts to steal from his kit!

New York: It’s almost unthinkable that while a player approaches fans to greet them, a nearby spectator would dare to steal from their kit. But on Tuesday, this is exactly what happened — and not to some low-profile player, but to four-time Grand Slam champion and World No. 1, Jannik Sinner.

After defeating Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in the US Open pre-quarterfinal, Italy’s top-seeded Sinner was packing up his kit when fans called him over. Some wanted handshakes, others autographs or selfies.

Sinner approached the fans and was handing a match-used towel to one supporter when a young man nearby tried to unzip his kit bag after saying something to him. Security quickly intervened and pushed the youth away.

Sinner, exhausted from his match, turned to see what had happened but left without saying anything to the embarrassed youth.

Sinner, who won his first US Open title in 2024, is defending champion this year and currently in top form. He will face fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals.