Polish entrepreneur Piotr Szczerek has issued a public apology after being caught on video taking a signed cap from a young tennis fan during a post-match moment at the US Open.
The incident unfolded after Kamil Majchrzak‘s five-set victory, when fans gathered around to celebrate. As the tennis player appeared to offer a souvenir hat to a boy in the crowd, Szczerek reached in and pulled the cap away.
The moment was captured on camera and quickly spread online, with viewers criticising Szczerek’s behaviour and some dubbing him the “most hated man on the internet.”
The backlash led to a flood of fake statements posted by impersonator accounts, but Szczerek has now responded directly from his verified Facebook page, confirming that he had made a serious error in judgment.
“Due to the situation that happened during Kamil Majchrzak‘s match at the US Open, I would like to clearly apologize to the injured boy, his family, as well as all the fans and the player himself,” he wrote.
“I have made a huge mistake.”
Emotions, misunderstanding, and public fallout
In his statement, Szczerek explained that he believed the player was signalling to his own sons, who had previously requested autographs, and reacted in the moment without thinking.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
He admitted the damage was done, regardless of intent.
“This was not my intention, but it doesn’t change the fact I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans,” he continued. “The hat was given to the boy, and apologies to the family. I hope. Just Partly. I have repaired the hurt that has been done.”
Szczerek also addressed the wave of online misinformation that followed the viral video, confirming that neither he nor his family had made any comments until now.
“I also want to make it clear, neither myself, nor my wife, nor my sons have commented on this situation on social media as well as on any portal,” he wrote. “We have not used the services of any office legal in this regard. All alleged statements appearing online are not ours by.”
His company, Drogbruk, became a target of the backlash as internet users flooded review sites with negative ratings. On Google, the business dropped to a 1.4-star rating, and its Trustpilot page was eventually taken down due to the surge in attention.
Reflecting on the broader consequences of the incident, Szczerek wrote, “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,” he added. “I believe that only through actions can rebuild what has been lost trust.”
He closed by asking for understanding and shared that he had disabled comments on the apology post for the well-being of his family.
“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.”
In a gesture of goodwill, tennis player Kamil Majchrzak personally met with the boy, named Brock, after seeing the reaction online.
“It was a very nice meeting,” Majchrzak said. “I wanted to meet the boy Brock and his family and just try to make things right for him.”
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