A Polish CEO has issued a public apology after a video from the US Open went viral on social media, showing him allegedly snatching a signed cap from a young fan.
The incident occurred on Thursday, August 28, following Polish tennis star Kamil Majchrzak’s five-set victory over Karen Khachanov. As Majchrzak approached fans on Court 11 to sign autographs, he removed his own cap and appeared to hand it to a boy in the crowd.
Instead, footage showed the cap being grabbed by a man standing nearby — later identified as Piotr Szczerek, CEO of the paving company Drogbruk — and quickly stuffed into a bag. The boy was left visibly upset, sparking widespread outrage online.
The video rapidly circulated across X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms, drawing condemnation from fans worldwide.
Reacting to the backlash, Majchrzak spoke out to clarify the situation and reassure supporters.
“After the match, I didn’t get to record that my cap didn’t get to the boy,” Majchrzak wrote on social media. The player later tracked down the fan, identified as Brock, and shared a picture of their meeting on Instagram with the caption: “Hello world, together with Brock, we wish you a great day.”
Majchrzak added that the CEO himself had attempted to make amends: “Obviously it was some kind of confusion. He also wanted to make things right, so I gave him the credentials for Brock’s mom on the same social media I was using to contact her. So, maybe he can make things right himself.”
CEO Issues Full Apology
Facing growing criticism and online scrutiny of both himself and his company, Szczerek addressed the controversy directly in a statement posted to Facebook on September 1.
He wrote: “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. I have made a huge mistake.”
Szczerek explained that he had misinterpreted the gesture in the chaos of the crowd: “In emotions, in the crowd rejoicing after the victory, I was convinced the tennis player tipped his hat in my direction — to my sons who have asked for autographs earlier.
“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 continued: “This was not my intention, but it doesn’t change the fact I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans. 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 Denies Fake Statements
In his statement, Szczerek also addressed the wave of online commentary, stressing that neither he nor his family had engaged with social media or legal services regarding the matter.
“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. We have not used the services of any legal office in this regard, ” he wrote. “All alleged statements appearing online are not ours.”
The CEO’s comments come after a number of false statements were widely circulated on social media platforms such as Facebook and X.
Backlash and Wider Reaction
Despite the apology, criticism of Szczerek has been fierce, with his company’s online reputation suffering in the days since the incident.
Social media users condemned the act, with one viral post describing him as a “terrible human being” and another adding: “Shame on grown adults who steal lifetime memories from kids at sporting events.”
As of this writing, the company has disabled comments on its social media posts on both Facebook and Instagram.
The controversy echoes other recent viral scandals involving CEOs, including US executive Andy Byron, who resigned in July after he went viral at a Coldplay gig during a “Kiss Cam” segment.
A Happier Ending for the Fan
For Brock, the young fan caught up in the viral moment, the saga ended on a brighter note. Majchrzak reunited with him and his family, gifting him a signed cap directly.
The Polish star shared footage of the meeting on his Instagram stories, bringing closure to an incident that left many questioning sportsmanship in the stands. “Hello world, together with Brock we wish you a great day,” Majchrzak wrote.
