Over the weekend, all anyone could talk about was the viral clip that showed a man supposedly stealing a tennis star’s hat from a child.
The viral moment occurred on August 28, when Polish tennis star Kamil Majchrzak went to greet supporters in the stands after his victory over Russia’s Karen Khachanov. The tennis player took off his hat to give it to a child, but before the young boy could retrieve it, the man standing next to him snatched it up. The child even tried to reach for it, but the man had no intention of giving it up and kept the hat for himself.
After the footage was shared to all four corners of the internet, people condemned the behaviour of the man whilst dubbing him everything from “jerk” to “selfish.”
TERRIBLE! Pro tennis player attempts to give a hat to a child at the US Open. An adult steps in and vultures it. Who does this?
Should there be any punishment? pic.twitter.com/Fgzf591jLa
— Don Lewis (@DonLew87) August 29, 2025
“That’s the biggest douche in America on the right. Stealing a hat meant for a kid at the U.S. Open. It would be a shame if someone recognised him,” one person wrote, sharing a picture of the man smiling with the woman he was with.
Another joked, “I suspect this man may feel similar regret to the Coldplay CEO shortly.”
While the story had a happy ending, with Kamil Majchrzak finding the boy and gifting him another hat and a picture, the man who grabbed the original hat has since been identified.
The man who stole the tennis hat was identified as Piotr Szczerek
Polish millionaire CEO who snatched a hat meant for a child on live TV at the US Open speaks out.
“Yes, I took it. Yes, I did it quickly. But as I’ve always said, life is first come, first served… If you were faster, you would have it… I remind you that insulting a public… pic.twitter.com/lEaX9BxkPJ
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) August 31, 2025
Within hours, people on the internet had identified the viral tennis hat “thief” as Polish millionaire CEO, Piotr Szczerek. He runs a paving company in Poland called Drogbruk, and later issued a statement in response, as per Dextero.
He said: “The recent incident at the tennis match has caused a disproportionate online uproar. It’s all about the famous hat, of course. Yes, I took it. Yes, I did it quickly. But as I’ve always said, life is first come, first served.
“I understand that some people might not like it, but please, let’s not make a global scandal out of the hat. It’s just a hat. If you were faster, you would have it. Regarding online hate, I remind you that insulting a public figure is subject to legal liability. All offensive comments, slander, and insinuations will be analysed for the possibility of taking the matter to court. In the end, chin up, hats off, less venom, more sportsmanship.”
Saying sorry was apparently out of the question.
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