US Open hat snatcher says first apology was fake and issues a real one but unfortunately, he’ll always be ‘that guy’

By now, everyone’s seen the clip from the US Open. A hat tossed into the crowd by Polish tennis player Kamil Majchrzak was meant for a kid. Instead, millionaire CEO Piotr Szczerek reached in like a pro cornerback and ripped it away.

Instantly, he became the US Open’s viral villain.

NEW: Tennis star Kamil Majchrzak is looking for a young boy who had a hat snatched from him by a grown man at the US Open.

Majchrzak was seen trying to hand the boy his hat when a grown man took it and stashed it in a bag.

"After the match, I didn't record that my cap didn't… pic.twitter.com/JE5vGxjNxg

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 29, 2025

The kid, thankfully, was made whole. Majchrzak tracked him down afterward, hooked him up with signed gear, and gave him the kind of day he’ll remember forever. That was the happy ending. The bad part? The image of a grown man at the US Open with plenty of money and status ripping a souvenir away from a kid in front of the cameras.

Then came the twist. A fake statement went around the internet, making Szczerek look even worse by supposedly doubling down with a “life is first come, first served” defense and threats of legal action against anyone criticizing him. It was so perfectly diabolical that people wanted to believe it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t real.

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

“If You Were Faster, You Would Have It” – Millionaire CEO at the US Open who stole a kids hat is not sorry one bit >>

Now, we’ve got the actual US Open incident apology.

Szczerek posted on his company’s Instagram, saying he thought the hat was tossed toward his sons, emotions got the best of him, and he never meant to rob a kid of a memory. He admitted it looked bad, said he returned the hat, and promised to be even more involved in helping kids moving forward.

This is translated from Polish. 

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 . In emotions, in the crowd rejoicing after the victory, I was convinced that tennis player tips his hat in my direction – to my sons who have asked for autographs earlier. To misconception caused me to pull out my hand Today I know I did something what
looked like a deliberate collection of the child’s souvenir. 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. 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 office legal in this regard. All alleged statements appearing online are not ours by. For years, my wife and I have been engaged in helping children and young athletes, but this situation has shown I think that one moment of disregard can ruin years of work and support. It hurts for me, but a needed lesson in humility. That’s why I will be even more actively involved in initiatives supporting children and adolescents and
action against violence and hate. I believe that only through actions can rebuild what has been lost trust. Again, I’m sorry to anyone i disappointed. Please understand – for my family’s sake, I decided to turn off the option comments on this post.
Yours truly
Peter Szczerk 

The problem? Everyone already saw what happened.

The video didn’t show a misunderstanding. It showed a clean rip straight out of a kid’s hands. No emotional mix-up, just bad optics and even worse instincts. He may be sorry, but the internet already cast him in the villain role, and there’s no escaping that once it sticks.

The fallout has been brutal in Poland. His company Drogbruk’s reviews tanked on Trustpilot and Google, with people calling him a thief and swearing they’ll never do business with him. He says it’s a lesson in humility. The internet says he’s forever “that guy.”

(source) Users on Polish forums called the CEO a “thief,” while Drogbruk saw its Trustpilot rating fall sharply to 1.1 stars. Some even said that he and his company should be banned from joining the sports events or sponsoring anything related.

Even on Google, the company received just 1.2 stars from 592 reviews. One review read, “The CEO of this company doesn’t have any morals; stealing from children and then defending himself in public. Don’t ever do business with this company.”

Another read, “Top-level management steal from children in broad daylight, then laugh about it. Definitely not someone to do business with under any circumstances (sic).”

At least the kid at the US Open won in the end. For Szczerek, the hat might be gone, but the reputation hit is permanent. Once you’re the guy who stole from a kid on live TV, you’re never anything else again.

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