A millionaire Polish businessman has apologised for his “serious mistake” after being caught snatching a tennis player’s cap from a child at the US Open.
Video of Piotr Szczerek, the head of a paving company, grabbing the souvenir from the hands of a youngster went viral.
Szczerek released a statement on Monday saying he had learnt “a painful but necessary lesson in humility” after he was identified and heavily criticised on social media.
The incident occurred after Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak defeated Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the second round in New York in a five-set thriller. While giving autographs after his victory, Majchrzak removed his cap and gestured towards a boy in the crowd, whose look of excitement soon turned to shock as Szczerek quickly reached over and took the souvenir. The Polish businessman was then seen placing the cap in his wife’s bag as the child, named only as Brock, protested.
The clip was circulated by broadcasters, including Eurosport and quickly gained millions of views. On Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and Polish jobs forums, users denounced the act. “It’s disgusting to steal a child’s souvenir,” one Reddit comment read.
Szczerek, head of the company Drogbruk, was also dubbed the “most hated man on the internet”.
In his statement, the director said he wanted to “unequivocally apologise to the boy concerned, his family, as well as to all the fans and to the player himself”, adding that he had since returned the cap.
Kamil Majchrzak, left, was unaware at the time that Brock, right, had the cap taken from him, so he responded by giving him a goody bag
He said: “I made a serious mistake. In the emotions of the moment, in the joy of the crowd after the victory, I was convinced that the tennis player was handing the cap in my direction for my sons, who had earlier asked for autographs. This mistaken belief caused me to reach out reflexively.
“Today I know that I did something which appeared to be deliberately taking a souvenir away from a child. That was not my intention, but this does not change the fact that I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans. The cap has been handed over to the boy, and apologies have been made to the family. I hope that at least in part I have repaired the harm caused.”
Szczerek and his wife are amateur tennis players who compete in local leagues, training with their two sons on a private court in their hometown of Kalisz, central Poland. They have hosted Urszula Radwanska, the retired professional, and have been involved in sponsoring young Polish players through an initiative with their company. Drogbruk has also sponsored the Polish Tennis Association.
The backlash has been so fierce that the couple have deactivated their social media accounts.
Szczerek said fake statements about the incident had been widely circulated on social media that purported to be from him and his family. “All alleged statements appearing online are not authored by us,” he said.
“For years, together with my wife, I have been engaged in helping children and young athletes, but this situation has shown me that a single moment of inattention can undo years of work and support. This is for me a painful but necessary lesson in humility. That is why I will now engage even more actively in initiatives supporting children and young people, as well as in actions against violence and hate.
“I believe that only through deeds can I rebuild the trust that has been lost. Once again, I apologise to all those I have let down.”
Polish media initially avoided naming him: laws are strict on commentary about private individuals, though the video’s rapid circulation has largely negated that protection.
Once he had been identified, Anita Kucharska-Dziedzic, a Polish left-wing MP, wrote on X: “Undoubtedly the most recognisable Polish businessman in the world. Billions reached in one day. Polish entrepreneurs will be making up for image losses for years. Unfortunately.”
Majchrzak, 29, ranked in the top 100, said he had been too distracted to notice the incident at the time. However, he later traced the boy, met him and gave him another signed cap and posed for photographs. The player also revealed that he had provided Brock’s mother’s contact details to Szczerek so he could make amends.
Caught on camera:
• Andy Byron, the chief executive of software company Astronomer, was spotted getting cuddling his chief people officer Kristin Cabot on Coldplay’s crowd camera at their concert in Chicago. The pair, who were married to other people, eventually resigned from the company.
• Travis Kalanick, the Uber co-founder and former chief executive, was forced to apologise after dashcam video in March 2017 showed him arguing with his own Uber driver over the company’s treatment of drivers. Kalanick, who was already under fire for a toxic company culture, ended up resigning three months later.
• A Coventry woman, Mary Bale, was caught on CCTV dumping Lola, a four-year-old cat, in a wheelie bin in 2010. The owner’s cat rescued her some 15 hours later, and Bale later apologised for a “split second of misjudgment” after being outed on social media.
• KSI, a boxer, musician and influencer, was forced to apologise in 2023 after he was caught making a racial slur about South Asian people in an online video. The British rapper, whose real name is Olajide William Olatunji, said he would be taking a break from social media, admitting: “I’m not perfect.”