After facing heavy criticism online for taking an autographed hat from a child at the US Open, Polish CEO Piotr Szczerek has issued an apology.
Szczerek, who runs the paving company Drogbruk, was near Polish tennis player Kamil Majchrzak as he signed a cap for a young boy on Thursday, Aug. 28. In a video that quickly spread across social media, Majchrzak appeared to hand the hat toward the child when Szczerek suddenly grabbed it. Despite the boy’s protests, Szczerek put the cap into a bag.
On Monday, Sept. 1, Szczerek shared a statement on social media apologizing to the boy. He explained that he thought the signed cap was meant for his own children, according to the BBC.
“I would like to unequivocally apologize to the injured boy, his family, as well as all the fans and the player himself. I have made a huge mistake,” Szczerek wrote. He added that in the excitement of the crowd, he believed the hat was being passed in his direction.
“I know I did something that looked like I was taking a memento from a child. That wasn’t my intention, but it doesn’t change the fact that I hurt the boy and let down the fans,” he continued. “The hat has been returned to the boy, and I’ve apologized to his family. I hope this helps make things right.”
Szczerek called the incident “a needed lesson in humility” and said neither he nor his family had made public comments before his statement. He also disabled comments on the post “for my family’s sake.”
Not long after the match, Majchrzak met the young boy, named Brock, and posed for photos with him. He later shared the pictures on his Instagram Story, according to the New York Post.
In the original video, Majchrzak didn’t seem to notice Szczerek taking the hat and continued signing for other fans. Speaking later, Majchrzak said he thought it was “some kind of confusion.”
“I was pointing, giving the hat, but I had a lot going on after my match, being super tired and super excited after the win,” Majchrzak said. “I just missed it. I’m sure the guy was also caught up in the emotions of the moment.”
Majchrzak ended his US Open run on Saturday, Aug. 30, withdrawing from the competition due to injury. He was one of seven players who had to leave the tournament for medical reasons.
