A viral moment, a bad takeaway, and a fast apology
A split-second grab at the U.S. Open turned a little boy’s big moment into internet outrage. A widely shared clip showed Polish business executive Piotr Szczerek snatching a signed tennis cap from a young fan named Brock just as he reached out to take it from Polish player Kamil Majchrzak. The scene played out live on TV. Within hours, the video was everywhere, and the verdict online was harsh.
By the next day, Szczerek went public with an apology on Facebook. He called the incident a “huge mistake” and said he showed “extremely poor judgment.” He said he believed the cap was meant for his sons, who had earlier asked Majchrzak for an autograph. He said he personally apologized to the boy and returned the original hat.
The clip spread fast because it hit a nerve: players giving souvenirs to kids is one of the sweetest parts of sports. The idea that an adult would jump in and take that moment away was always going to trigger a reaction. Some users stamped him with the label “most hated man on the internet,” a typical pile-on when a viral video becomes the story.
What fueled the fire more? According to posts that circulated with the video, Szczerek initially brushed off the criticism with a “first come, first served” line. That did not land well. Soon after, his tone shifted to remorse. The fuller apology acknowledged the harm, not just the optics: “Regardless of what I believed was happening, the actions I took hurt the young boy and disappointed the fans.”
What happened courtside — and what happened after
The moment unfolded after Majchrzak’s upset win over ninth seed Karen Khachanov. As is common after a big victory, he walked over to the stands and handed out a signed cap. The cameras caught the intended exchange: Brock leaning in with a smile, the cap extended toward him. Then, in a blink, Szczerek reached in from the side and pulled it away, tucking it into a bag held by a woman with him.
There was a brief, stunned pause on the broadcast. Then the clip took on a life of its own across platforms. The reactions ranged from disbelief to anger to memes. None of that helps the kid in the moment, of course. So Majchrzak stepped in.
The 29-year-old said on social media that he contacted the boy’s family and made it right. He met with Brock, gave him a replacement hat, and took a photo together. “Hello World, together with Brock we wish you a great day!” he wrote alongside an image of the two smiling, the boy wearing the cap as it should have been from the start.
Meanwhile, Szczerek — a millionaire CEO of a Polish paving company, as noted by The New York Times — tried to explain without excusing. He said he thought the player was handing the cap to him on behalf of his sons. That assumption, he conceded, led to a choice that hurt a child and upset fans watching at home. He returned the original hat and made a public apology.
Here’s how the episode unfolded, step by step:
- Courtside: After a surprise win, Majchrzak moves to give his cap to young fan Brock.
- The grab: Szczerek reaches in and takes the cap, placing it in a bag.
- Instant reaction: The broadcast clip spreads across social media, drawing millions of views and sharp criticism.
- Early defense: A “first come, first served” comment circulates, intensifying backlash.
- Accountability: Szczerek posts an apology, calls it a “huge mistake,” says he misread the moment.
- Repair: Majchrzak meets Brock, gives him a new hat, and takes photos. Szczerek returns the original cap.
To people who follow tennis, the unwritten rule is simple: when a player points, gestures, or hands over an item, that’s the intended recipient. There’s no formal booth or security line to manage these handoffs. It’s trust and courtesy. In baseball, when an adult takes a foul ball clearly meant for a kid, teams often step in and replace it. Tennis has less structure around these moments, but the spirit is similar. The player picks the fan; everyone else stays out of the way.
The lightning speed of the backlash says a lot about how sports moments now live online. A seven-second clip can turn into a global referendum in minutes. That can go too far — the internet loves a villain — but the core complaint here was fair. The boy’s moment was taken. What happened next also mattered. Szczerek owned it, returned the hat, and apologized. Majchrzak made sure the kid still got a keepsake and a memory. That quick reset helped stop a bad moment from becoming a lasting mess.
There’s also a lesson in crisis 101 for public figures and business leaders: clarity beats defensiveness. Explanations that sound like excuses never land well, especially when a child is involved. The apology that worked focused on impact, not intent, and on action — returning the cap and acknowledging the harm — rather than on winning the argument.
For Majchrzak, the incident came during a roller-coaster week. He scored a statement win, then retired from his next match with an undisclosed injury. Still, he found time to reach out to the family and handle the fallout with grace, which drew praise from fans who saw the photo with Brock as the ending they wanted.
As for the larger picture, players giving away gear is part of what makes live sports feel personal. A wristband, a cap, a towel — tiny things that carry big feelings for a kid. When adults elbow into that space, the mood turns fast. This time, the story looped back to where it should have started: a young fan smiling with a signed hat, a player showing sportsmanship, and a man owning a mistake he made in the heat of the moment.
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