A Polish businessman has been identified as the spectator accused of taking an autographed hat meant for a young tennis fan at the US Open, sparking widespread backlash online.
The incident occurred Thursday night after Polish player Kamil Majchrzak upset ninth seed Karen Khachanov. While signing autographs courtside, Majchrzak appeared to gesture toward a boy named Brock, seemingly offering him a signed cap. However, footage from the broadcast showed Piotr Szczerek, a wealthy entrepreneur from Poland, allegedly grabbing the hat before the child could claim it.
Szczerek, 44, is the CEO of paving company Drogbruk and a well-known figure in Polish business circles. The moment quickly went viral, drawing anger from fans who accused him of snatching a treasured souvenir from a child.
Majchrzak, who later confirmed the man’s identity to The New York Post, said he had not realized the confusion at the time. “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,” he explained. “I’m sure the guy was also acting in the moment of emotions.”
Viewers were less forgiving and criticized the man on Polish job boards and social media. Szczerek has since deactivated his social media accounts following the uproar, according to The Post.
According to Majchrzak, the businessman has reached out in an effort to apologize to Brock’s family. “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.
Szczerek is an amateur tennis player himself, competing in the second division of the Kalisz Tennis Association. Along with his wife Anna, he co-founded Drogbruk in 1999 and has sponsored local sports programs and Polish tennis players. The couple live in Kalisz with their two sons and reportedly host matches on their private tennis court, according to Marca.
Despite the controversy, the story ended on a positive note for Brock. Using what he called the “power of the internet,” Majchrzak tracked down the young fan and reunited with him over the weekend. In a video shared on Instagram, the tennis pro is seen meeting Brock and his family, gifting the boy a new signed hat along with other memorabilia.
“Today after warm up I had a nice meeting,” Majchrzak wrote in the post, adding a hat emoji. In the clip, Brock smiles broadly as he tries on the cap and poses for photos.
Majchrzak later shared another photo of himself with the boy, captioned: “Hello World, Together with Brock we wish you a great day!”