A man who snatched a hat gifted by tennis star Kamil Majchrzak to a young boy at the US Open 2025 has been identified as Polish millionaire Piotr Szczerek.
Majchrzak had just defeated ninth seed Karen Khachanov before the viral incident on Thursday, with a video showing the tennis star signing autographs and then removing his cap for a young boy named Brock.
And Szczerek has now released a lengthy statement apologising for his actions and the “grave mistake” he made at Flushing Meadows.
He said: “Due to the situation that occurred during Kamil Majchrzak’s match at the US Open, I would like to unequivocally apologise to the injured boy, his family, all the fans, and the player himself.
“I made a grave mistake. In the midst of emotion, amidst the crowd's celebration after my victory, I was convinced that the tennis player was passing the cap to me – for my sons, who had previously asked for autographs. This mistaken belief caused me to instinctively reach out.
“Today I know that I did something that looked like I deliberately took a souvenir from a child. It wasn’t my intention, but that doesn’t change the fact that I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans.
“The cap was given to the boy, and an apology is due to the family. I hope that I have at least partially repaired the harm. I also want to make it clear: neither I, my wife, nor my sons commented on this situation on social media or on any website,” he continued. “We did not use the services of any law firm in this regard. All alleged statements appearing online are not ours.
“For years, my wife and I have been involved in helping children and young athletes, but this situation has shown me that one moment of inattention can undo years of work and support. This is a painful but necessary lesson in humility for me. Therefore, I will be even more actively involved in initiatives supporting children and young people and in actions against violence and hate. I believe that only through actions can I rebuild lost trust.”
And Majchrzak attempted to defend Szczerek by labelling his action as “acting in the moment of heat”.
Kamil Majchrzak meeting the young boy who had the hat taken from him the other day at the US Open.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 30, 2025
A happy ending… this is what it’s all about.
Protect this man at all costs. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/EAaJVltyM6
“Obviously it was some kind of confusion,” the Polish tennis star told The New York Post, revealing that Szczerek is a sponsor for his country’s tennis federation.
“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.
“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.”
Szczerek, who is the CEO of paving company Drogbruk, was captured allegedly pinching the memento intended for a young fan, though Majchrzak continued to sign autographs and did not recognise that the hat was taken by an unintended recipient.
Kamil Majchrzak found Brock, the young boy who had his signed cap snatched off him in the crowd, and gave him another gift 🫶🇵🇱
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) August 30, 2025
[Via Instagram- kamilmajchrzakk] pic.twitter.com/7gk8U2ktSw
The businessman could then be seen placing the prized hat into his companion’s bag, with the young boy visibly devastated. And it has been reported that Szczerek has since deactivated his social media accounts following the incident, with widespread uproar from tennis fans on social media.
Majchrzak has claimed that Szczerek has since reached out to the fan and his family in a bid to smooth things over.
“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 added. “So, maybe he can make things right himself.”
Szczerek co-founded Drogbruk with his wife in 1999 and has been described as a leader in the industry.
Majchrzak has since reached out to the young fan, leaning on the “power of the internet” to find him and gift him a signed cap to replace the one he did not receive on court, while giving him a series of other keepsakes.
“Today after warm up I had a nice meeting,” Majchrzak wrote, adding a hands-up emoji. “Do you recognise?”
The 29-year-old then shared a photo of himself with the boy, adding: “Hello World, Together with Brock we wish you a great day!”
