Polish CEO Who Turned Into International Villain After Snatching Signed Hat From Child at US Open Finally Apologizes Following Viral Backlash

At the US Open, where dreams are made and childhood heroes come to life, one millionaire’s entitled behavior turned a heartwarming courtside moment into international outrage.

Polish Piotr Szczerek, CEO and co-founder of Polish paving and landscaping firm Drogbruk, was identified online after he was caught on live broadcast snatching a tennis star’s autographed hat right out of a young fan’s hands and stuffing it in his wife’s bag.

Fresh off Polish tennis star Kamil Majchrzak’s upset victory over ninth seed Karen Khachanov, Majchrzak tossed his signed hat toward a starry-eyed young fan named Brock, according to the New York Post.

As Majchrzak handed the keepsake toward a young boy named Brock, Szczerek swooped in and grabbed it, stuffing it into his wife’s bag while the devastated child protested.

WATCH:

At the US Open, Polish tennis player Kamil Majchrzak is seeking help on Instagram to find a young boy after a grown man snatched the hat he was trying to give him.

“After the match, I didn’t record that my cap didn’t get to the boy … Could you help me find the kid from my… pic.twitter.com/27UK4Mlzrz

— I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) August 29, 2025

Majchrzak took to Instagram to ask fans for help locating the disappointed boy. “Could you help me find the kid from my match?”

Tennis star Kamil Majchrzak is looking for the boy who had the hat taken from him so that he can make things right https://t.co/3MOGbGjd5w pic.twitter.com/B3SfWUAMRt

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 29, 2025

Within hours, Brock and his family were found. Before his next match, Majchrzak met with Brock and gave him a bag of signed merchandise, including a replacement cap.

Kamil Majchrzak meeting the young boy who had the hat taken from him the other day at the US Open.

A happy ending… this is what it’s all about.

Protect this man at all costs. pic.twitter.com/EAaJVltyM6

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 30, 2025

Kamil Majchrzak found Brock, the young boy who had his signed cap snatched off him in the crowd, and gave him another gift.

The man who seemingly snatched a hat autographed by tennis star Kamil Majchrzak from a young boy at the US Open has been identified as Polish millionaire… pic.twitter.com/2LhZ1GpFHr

— Modern History (@modernhistory) September 1, 2025

According to the New York Post, countrymen back in Poland shredded Szczerek on job boards, calling him everything from a “sack of garbage” to a “common thief.” One commenter summed it up perfectly: “You can’t buy class.”

In response, Szczerek issued an apology on Monday via the Drogbruk Facebook account, expressing regret over what he called a “serious mistake.”

He stated that in the excitement of the moment, he believed the cap was intended for his own sons and insisted the incident was a misunderstanding born of celebratory chaos.

He wrote:

“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.

I have sent the hat back to the boy and extended my sincere apologies to his family. I hope, at least to a small extent, I was able to repair the harm I caused.

I also want to state clearly: neither I nor my wife nor my sons commented on this situation on social media or on any other platform. We did not hire any law firm regarding this matter. All statements appearing online accredited to us were false and were not authored by us or our representatives.

For years, my wife and I have been involved in supporting children and young athletes, but this incident has shown me that a moment of inattention can undo years of work and support. It is a painful but necessary lesson in humility.

Going forward, I will engage even more actively in initiatives that support children and youth, and I will take actions against violence and hate. I believe that only through actions can I rebuild the trust I have lost.

Once again, I apologize to everyone I let down.

Please understand — for the sake of my family, I have decided to disable the ability to comment on this post.

Sincerely,
Piotr Szczerek”

The post Polish CEO Who Turned Into International Villain After Snatching Signed Hat From Child at US Open Finally Apologizes Following Viral Backlash appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.