• Piotr Szczerek apologized for snatching a hat from a young fan at the US Open.
• The incident occurred after Kamil Majchrzak's match, causing widespread online backlash.
• Szczerek has stated the cap was returned to the boy and expressed regret over his actions.
• Majchrzak later met with the boy, giving him a new cap and taking pictures.
• Reviews for Szczerek's company DROGBRUK have plummeted following the controversy.

Piotr Szczerek, the CEO of Polish paving company Drogbruk, has issued an unequivocal apology for snatching a hat that tennis player Kamil Majchrzak attempted to give to a young fan during the US Open. After a viral video highlighted his actions, Szczerek acknowledged, “I made a serious mistake,” explaining that he thought the cap was being handed to him for his sons who had requested autographs earlier. He stated he felt a “sense of crowd joy” at the moment and regretted that his actions appeared deliberate in taking the keepsake from the child, a misunderstanding he deeply regrets and plans to rectify through further community engagement, according to Newsweek.

The incident unfolded during Majchrzak's match against Karen Khachanov, wherein the Polish tennis player had intended to celebrate with the young fan by giving him his cap. Instead, footage showed Szczerek grabbing it first, which led to significant backlash on social media, including harsh critiques directed at Szczerek and his company. The public outcry not only affected his reputation but also led to Drogbruk’s Google reviews plummeting, showing an average rating of 1.4 stars due to the incident, highlighting the powerful impact of social media reactions, according to BBC and CBS News.

In a follow-up, Majchrzak confirmed the identity of Szczerek to the media and mentioned the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding amid the post-match excitement. He personally reached out to the boy’s family to offer his apologies and presented the boy with a new cap along with memorabilia crafted from their meeting, aiming to mend the emotional impact of the incident. Their positive encounter was shared on social media, further emphasizing collaboration and warmth between the players and fans, as detailed in the reports from Newsweek, BBC, and CBS News.