The Polish CEO who was caught on camera snatching a match-worn hat away from a young child at the U.S. Open has "unequivocally" apologized after his actions went viral on social media.
Piotr Szczerek, the boss of paving-stone company Drogbruk, was seen Thursday grabbing the hat of Kamil Majchrzak, a Polish tennis player who had just completed a five-set upset over world No. 9 Karen Khachaov, away from a young boy.
The boy can then be heard yelling, "What are you doing?" as Szczerek handed the hat to his wife, who then quickly shoved it into her bag. The boy then left the match without the hat and without an autograph.
There's no place for this!
— cllct (@cllctMedia) August 29, 2025
Kamil Majchrzak went to give his hat to a young kid after his five-set thriller yesterday and the man next to him snatched it away.
pic.twitter.com/p3fHhxAEM2
After the video circulated online to the tune of millions of viewers, Szczerek was identified, and his company was flooded with poor reviews.
“If the company’s president so unscrupulously stole a child’s hat, if I were a customer, I would no longer use his services,” wrote one online user. “I’d be afraid he’d steal from me, too.”
It wasn't until Monday that Szczerek released a statement, saying he "made a serious mistake."
"In the emotions, in the crowd's joy 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 false assumption made me reach out instinctively. Today, I know that what I did looked like deliberately taking a keepsake from a child.
"That was not my intention, but it doesn't change the fact that I hurt the boy and let the fans down. The cap has been given back to the boy, and I apologize to the family. I hope that I have at least partially repaired the harm caused."
Szczerek also addressed false statements that have been released claiming he and his wife are pursuing legal action against those who criticized them.
"Neither I, nor my wife, nor my sons have commented on this situation in social media or on any portal," Szczerek said. "We have not used any legal services in this matter. All alleged statements appearing online are not ours."
"For me this is a painful but necessary lesson in humility," Szczerek added.
Hours after Thursday's event, Majchrzak was alerted of the situation and sought help on Instagram to find the boy and his family.
He met with them Saturday morning following a practice session, posting a photo with the caption, "Hello World, together with Brock (the young boy) we wish you a great day!"
Majchrzak gifted Brock and his family gear and took photos with them ahead of his Saturday afternoon match, though he was forced to retire from the event due to a torn intercostal muscle.
Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.