A CEO from Poland named Piotr Szczerek has now apologized after being seen in a viral video grabbing a tennis player’s hat at the U.S. Open as the player appeared to be offering it to a young boy.
According to the New York Post, the Polish “millionaire” CEO was accused of being the man who drew widespread scorn on social media for grabbing the hat that tennis pro Kamil Majchrzak appeared to be handing to a boy named Brock.
Szczerek has now apologized for the incident in a lengthy statement posted to his Facebook page.
Piotr Szczerek Apologized to the Boy, His Family, Fans & the Player
Szczerek posted the statement on Sept. 1.
“In connection with the incident that occurred during Kamill Majchrzak’s match at the US Open, I would like to unequivocally apologize to the young boy, his family, all the fans, and the player himself,” he wrote.
“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,” he added. “I became caught up in the heat of the moment and the joy of the victory, and I believed Majchrzak was handing a hat to me to give to my sons, who had previously asked for autographs. Regardless of what I believed was happening, the actions I took hurt the young boy and disappointed the fans.”
Continued the CEO: “I have sent the hat back to the boy and extended my sincere apologies to his family. I hope, at least to a small extent, I was able to repair the harm I caused. I also want to state clearly: neither I nor my wife nor my sons commented on this situation on social media or on any other platform. We did not hire any law firm regarding this matter. All statements appearing online accredited to us were false and were not authored by us or our representatives.”
He concluded, “For years, my wife and I have been involved in supporting children and young athletes, but this incident has shown me that a moment of inattention can undo years of work and support. It is a painful but necessary lesson in humility.”
The CEO added, “Going forward, I will engage even more actively in initiatives that support children and youth, and I will take actions against violence and hate. I believe that only through actions can I rebuild the trust I have lost. Once again, I apologize to everyone I let down. Please understand — for the sake of my family, I have decided to disable the ability to comment on this post.”
Majchrzak later shared a new video showing him giving a new hat to the boy.
“Today after warm up I had a nice meeting. Do you recognize?” Majchrzak, wrote of the boy on his Instagram story after the incident.
The Tennis Pro Previously Confirmed Piotr Szczerek’s Name in a Published Report
Majchrzak confirmed Szczerek’s identity to The Post, revealing that the CEO sponsors his tennis federation in Poland and declaring, “Obviously, it was some kind of confusion.”
“I was pointing, giving the hat, but I had a lot going on after my match, after being super tired and super excited for the win. I just missed it,” the player told The Post of the viral moment. “I had like a dead look if you know what I mean. I’m sure the guy was also acting in the moment of heat, in the moment of emotions.”
Majchrzak told The Post that Szczerek is trying to make the situation right for the boy, identified as Brock.
“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,” Majchrzak said to the publication.
“So, maybe he can make things right himself.”
Men’s Journal has reached out to Szczerek’s company, Dogbruk, via its email and Instagram page.
Professional Tennis Player Kamil Majchrzak Had Just Removed the Hat When Piotr Szczerek Sprang Into Action
Majchrzak, 29, who is ranked 76th in the world and hails from Poland, had just removed the hat from his own head when, the video shows, the man grabbed the hat, causing the boy to express disappointment. Majchrzak appeared to be handing the cap in the direction of the boy. The man then put the hat in the bag of a woman who was standing next to him, disgusting social media commenters.
A Polish millionaire CEO and businessman was exposed after grabbing a tennis star’s hat that was being given to a child
pic.twitter.com/3fVEBetmlK— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) August 30, 2025
According to the Financial Express, which accused Szczerek of being the man in the video, Szczerek “co-founded Drogbruk in 1999,” turning the company “into a leader in the paving industry.” Szczerek has also been accused of being the hat-snatching man on a Hungarian news site and on a Polish blog.
His company “has supported local sports projects, sponsored tennis tournaments, and even launched programs to help young athletes,” according to the Financial Express.
Financial Express alleged that Szczerek is being slammed on a Polish job site due to the accusations.
Drogbruk has limited who can comment on its Facebook posts, although it’s not clear when that action was taken. The company does not allow comments on its Instagram posts.
“Over 25 years ago, we took our first steps into the world of paving stones. In 1999, the first factory, DROGBRUK AP SZCZEREK Sp. J., you established, and we have determinedly built a brand trusted by thousands of customers today,” a translation of the company’s website says.
Tenis Magazyn, a Polish-language publication, previously profiled Szczerek and his wife, Anna. “Anna and Piotr Szczerek run a large company, but find time for their passion – tennis. They also like to share the fruits of business success, supporting a variety of sports projects,” the article says.
Both play tennis, the article noted. “The Szczerek family is not far from training. All they have to do is leave the house for the back of the garden, where they have a beautiful court,” it says.
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