“Huge mistake:” CEO apologizes for snatching a cap from a child at the US Open
Fifty-year-old Piotr Szczerek has apologized for snatching a cap from a young boy during the US Open after he was caught in the act. The incident caused fury online.
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Fifty-year-old Piotr Szczerek has apologized for snatching a cap from a young boy during the US Open after he was caught in the act. The incident caused fury online.
Szczerek, the chief executive of a paving company in Poland, has taken to social media to apologize to the boy after being called a “scumbag,” a “jerk,” “greedy,” and much worse since the video of him snatching the hat went viral.
The CEO was caught on camera snatching the cap offered to the boy by Polish tennis star Kamil Majchrzak during a US Open match last week. The video footage then showed him putting the hat in his wife’s bag despite the boy's apparent distress and protests.
Polish business executive Piotr Szczerek, CEO of paving firm Drogbruk,
undefined Adv. M.R.Mishra (@mrmishraadv) August 31, 2025
has been identified as the individual who grabbed a hat intended for a young fan during tennis star Kamil Majchrzak’s US Open celebration.
The incident, which sparked global outrage, saw Szczerek swiftly… pic.twitter.com/kB3KUjJqcT
In a Facebook post, Szczerek said he wanted to “unequivocally” apologize to the boy, his family, the fans, and Majchrzak himself. He said he believed the player was handing the cap to him because his own sons had previously asked for autographs.
“I made a huge mistake,” Szczerek said in a Polish version of the statement posted online.
“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.”
Szczerek said he had sent the hat back to the boy, which, if true, means that he will now have two. Majchrzak, the tennis star, met with the boy over the weekend and gave him another cap with an autograph in a heartwarming moment he posted as an Instagram story.
After becoming aware of the cap incident, the tennis player took to social media to try to find the boy, succeeding in less than an hour. "Today, after warm-up, I had a nice meeting," he said, adding, “Do you recognise [the cap]?”
BREAKING🎾🧢: Polish tennis player, Kamil Majchrzak meets the boy whose cap was stolen at the US Open, and gave him another one along with an autograph.
undefined Mario (@PawlowskiMario) August 30, 2025
The guy who stole the cap from the boy, Piotr Szczerek should be ashamed. pic.twitter.com/rQCIUJoqQ6
In comments to the New York Post after he met with the boy, the player said he did not notice the hat being taken from the boy because he was “super-tired and super-excited for the win” against Russian player Karen Khachanov.
“Obviously, it was some kind of confusion,” he said, adding he was sure Szczerek was “also acting in the moment of heat, in the moment of emotions.”
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The internet seemed to disagree, quickly identifying the hat snatcher as the Polish millionaire executive of the paving firm Drogbruk. Drogbruk sponsors sports events and athletes, including a Polish tennis federation that Majchrzak belongs to.
Many expressed their frustration at what was widely perceived as “disgusting” and “entitled” behavior on social media platforms, including X and Reddit. Some left negative reviews of his company online, significantly lowering its ratings.
Turns out a millionaire CEO stealing a hat meant for a child at the US Open and doubling down on it has consequences.
undefined Erikaaa (@ErikaC47) August 31, 2025
Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future. Be kind to them. Do better. pic.twitter.com/DVRlxuV8ls
In July, another CEO, Astronomer’s Andy Byron, faced a similar backlash and was forced to resign after being caught on a kiss cam with the company’s head of HR, Kristin Cabot, at a Coldplay concert, exposing their apparent affair.