Polish businessman Piotr Szczerek has been identified as the man who took an autographed hat intended for a young fan during the US Open.
The incident occurred after Polish tennis player Kamil Majchrzak’s victory over ninth seed Karen Khachanov. While signing autographs courtside, Majchrzak attempted to hand his signed hat to a boy named Brock, but it was swiftly taken by Szczerek.
A Polish millionaire CEO and businessman was exposed after grabbing a tennis star’s hat that was being given to a child
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) August 30, 2025
pic.twitter.com/3fVEBetmlK
The CEO of paving company Drogbruk was seen placing the hat into his wife’s bag as the boy protested. The moment, caught on live broadcast, spread quickly online and drew strong criticism from viewers. Szczerek has since deactivated his social media accounts.
Majchrzak later addressed the matter, confirming Szczerek’s identity and describing it as a misunderstanding. “Obviously it was some kind of confusion,” he explained, adding that Szczerek is a sponsor of his tennis federation. The player added, “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.”
Online reaction was swift, with users on Polish job search site Gowork.pl branding Szczerek a “common thief” and a “shameful jerk.” Critics wrote that “you can’t buy class” and said they would avoid doing business with his company.
Majchrzak later used social media to contact Brock’s family, meeting them in person to present a new signed hat and other keepsakes.
Photo: Instagram
Szczerek, who co-founded Drogbruk with his wife in 1999, is also an amateur tennis player. He has yet to comment publicly.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ