A feel-good moment at the US Open turned sour last week when a viral video appeared to show a millionaire businessman snatching a signed cap from a young boy in the stands. The incident has since spiraled into an international controversy, with online sleuths unmasking the man and furious fans branding him “selfish,” “a jerk,” and even the “most hated man on the internet.”

The drama unfolded on Thursday after Polish tennis player Kamil Majchrzak secured the biggest win of his career, defeating ninth seed Karen Khachanov in a grueling five-set battle on Court 11 in New York. The 29-year-old Majchrzak, who entered the tournament ranked outside the world’s top 100, soaked in the applause before approaching fans and attempting to gift his cap to a young boy identified only as “Brock.”

But the heartwarming gesture was interrupted when a man standing beside the boy quickly snatched the signed hat, stuffing it into his bag while the child looked stunned. Cameras caught the youngster asking in disbelief: “What are you doing?” as Majchrzak walked away, unaware of the confusion.

Online detectives identify alleged culprit

The video spread rapidly across social media, with outraged fans demanding justice for the boy. Within hours, amateur internet sleuths claimed the man in the clip was Piotr Szczerek, CEO of the Polish paving company Drogbruk.

Szczerek, 44, has been dubbed everything from a “bully” to “a coward” by angry tennis fans. “Only an ordinary idiot and a jerk could snatch a hat from a child’s hands,” one furious commenter wrote. Another fumed: “If the company’s president so unscrupulously stole from a child, I would never use his services again.”

Majchrzak himself later confirmed to the New York Post that the man in the video was indeed Szczerek, who sponsors Poland’s tennis federation. The player attempted to calm the storm, suggesting the grab may have been a misunderstanding: “Obviously it was some kind of confusion… I think he was also acting in the heat of the moment.”

Who is Piotr Szczerek?

Far from an unknown face in Poland, Szczerek is a wealthy entrepreneur and amateur tennis player. His company, founded in 1999, specializes in paving and roadworks, with its headquarters located in Błaszki, around 155 miles west of Warsaw. Drogbruk has long been active in community initiatives, sponsoring local sports programs and up-and-coming tennis players.

Szczerek and his wife, Anna, are tennis enthusiasts and even maintain a private court at their residence in Kalisz. According to Tenis Magazyn, the couple once hosted retired Polish tennis star Urszula Radwańska at their home. Szczerek himself has competed in Poland’s amateur tennis leagues, climbing to the second division of the Kalisz Tennis Association.

Despite his respectable business profile, his public image has taken a nosedive since the cap incident. Some users even flooded online business review sites with negative comments, calling Drogbruk “one of the worst companies, not worth wasting your money.”

Kamil Majchrzak: Poland’s quiet fighter

The man at the center of the storm, Kamil Majchrzak, is hardly a household name but has long been regarded as one of Poland’s most promising talents. Born in Piotrków Trybunalski in 1995, Majchrzak turned professional in 2014 after a successful junior career. He once reached as high as world No. 75 in ATP rankings and represented Poland at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Nicknamed “Szumi” by fans, Majchrzak is known for his gritty baseline game and strong work ethic. His career has been marked by resilience—he returned to competition in 2024 after serving a suspension related to a doping case, which he has always insisted was unintentional. The victory over Khachanov at this year’s US Open was not just a milestone for him but also a powerful comeback statement.

Following the viral video, Majchrzak acted quickly to set things right. On Friday, he posted on Instagram asking fans to help track down the boy who was meant to receive his cap. “Thanks to @asicstennis, I’ve got enough caps, so I’m prepared for that,” he wrote. “Hey guys, could you help me find the kid from my match?”

Kamil Majchrzak

Hours later, he confirmed the boy had been located and would be receiving not just the original cap, but extra gifts. “I am impressed by the power of the internet,” Majchrzak posted. “We got it! All good now.”

A failed legal defense?

The backlash against Szczerek reached such a level that a bizarre legal statement appeared online, supposedly defending his actions. Posted on employment review site GoWork and attributed to a Swedish lawyer, the message argued that the “temporary taking” of the cap was “neither unlawful nor reprehensible” and could even be seen as an “educational gesture” for the child.

The post, however, was later discredited. The lawyer named in the statement publicly denied authoring it and confirmed legal steps were being taken to have it removed. By then, though, the damage was already done.

Moving on – or not?

While Majchrzak has urged fans to forgive and forget, many tennis supporters seem unwilling to let Szczerek off the hook. To them, the incident represented something more than a misunderstanding—it was an example of privilege and selfishness overshadowing a child’s once-in-a-lifetime moment.

For Majchrzak, however, the scandal hasn’t dulled the shine of his victory. His focus now remains on continuing his US Open run and building momentum for the rest of the season. For Szczerek, the road back to repairing his reputation may prove far more difficult than any tennis match.

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