The “entitled” jerk 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 Piotr Szczerek.
Szczerek, CEO of paving company Drogbruk, was allegedly caught on the live broadcast Thursday night apparently snatching the prized memento from the boy’s hands after Majchrzak, also Polish – fresh off his victory over ninth seed Karen Khachanov – appeared to be gifting it to the child while signing autographs courtside.
The businessman – who was seen placing the prized hat into his wife’s bag as the devastated young fan protested – has since deactivated his social media accounts after the incident sparked widespread fury, MARCA reported.
Polish tennis star Kamil Majchrzak met with the young fan he tried handing his autographed hat to but was immediately snatched away by an adult man. Kamil Majchrzak/ Instagram
Szczerek’s countrymen swiftly blasted him on a Polish job search site as a “sack of garbage,” “common thief,” “primitive scammer,” and “shameful jerk.”
Internet sleuths named the hated adult who stole Brock’s cap as CEO Piotr Szczerek, who according to reports owns the Polish paving company Drogbruk. US Open/Euro Sport
“Only an ordinary idiot and a jerk could snatch a hat from a child’s hands,” wrote one Gowork.pl user. “You can’t buy class,” offered another critic.
Szczerek was lambasted by people online after the incident went viral. Kamil Majchrzak/ Instagram
“If the company’s president so unscrupulously stole a child’s hat, if I were a customer, I would no longer use his services” chime in another. “I’d be afraid he’d steal from me too.”
“You have to be a real bastard to do something like that,” noted another critic. “But karma comes back, and the power of the internet has pleasantly surprised me.”
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“Piotr Szczerek and his wife should have their shoes filled with cement,” suggested a different person.
Szczerek co-founded his paving company in 1999 with his wife, Anna, and it’s been described as a leader in the industry, according to a Polish tennis magazine.
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In an interview with a local outlet, he noted that the paving industry was thriving in his country at the time, prompting him and his wife to establish a business in their hometown.
He also reportedly sponsors local sports programs and supports Polish tennis players, including Piotr Matuszewski.
Szczerek could not be reached for comment, and emails sent to his company were not immediately returned.
Majchrzak posted video of him meeting the boy on Saturday. Kamil Majchrzak/ Instagram
But what began as an ugly incident ended on a brighter note for the slighted boy, when Majchrzak used the “power of the internet” to track him down and gifted him a signed cap, along with other keepsakes.
A video posted Saturday to Majchrzak’s Instagram stories shows him reuniting with the overjoyed young fan, who he said was named Brock, and his family – showering him with gifts, snapping photos, and warmly chatting with them.
“Today after warm up I had a nice meeting,” the tennis star wrote with a hands up emoji, followed by, “Do you recognize?” and a hat emoji.
In the clip, Brock beamed as he placed the hat on his head, proudly showing it off to what appeared to be his mother.
Majchrzak then shared a photo of himself with the young boy, who was proudly wearing the prized possession.
“Hello World, Together with Brock we wish you a great day!”