„I became caught up in the heat of the moment,” says Polish CEO after viral video shows him snatching a hat from a kid following Kamil Majchrzak’s US Open match
A wave of hate flooded the company online. Now, CEO Piotr Szczerek has spoken out, saying that some of the posts circulating are fake.
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The incident with man that snatching a signed cap from a kid at the US Open blew up online. People quickly figured out who he was (and it turns out he’s the CEO of a big Polish company) so bombarded him with bad reviews. He has since issued a statement, saying also that some of the posts circulating weren’t actually from him.
What’s true, what’s false, and what’s going on with the signed cap?
At the 2025 US Open, Polish tennis player Kamil Majchrzak had just won a match and was signing autographs. He attempted to give his signed cap to a young fan named Brock. At that moment, Piotr Szczerek, a millionaire CEO of the paving company Drogbruk, swept in and took the cap, placing it in his wife's bag.
The incident went viral, triggering massive public outrage. People bombarded Drogbruk with negative reviews across platforms like Google, and GoWork. Ratings plummeted, with scores falling as low as around 1.1-1.3 out of 5.
Source: X
Source: X
Szczerek insists that those GoWork posts being shared in translation are fake. But what’s even more interesting is a recent post from WKB Lawyers. One of those supposedly fake post had threatened people with legal action and claimed to be from the WKB Lawyers firm. WKB has since released its own statement on LinkedIn, which in translation reads:
Statement regarding posts on the GoWork portal from August 29 and 30, 2025
WKB Lawyers declares that neither the firm nor attorney-at-law Jakub Jedrzejak have ever represented Mr. Piotr Szczerek or the company DROG-BRUK A.P. Szczerek Sp. J.
We have no connection with the posts published on the GoWork portal on August 29 and 30, 2025. They were posted without our knowledge or consent. The author of the post impersonated one of the firm’s partners, attorney-at-law Jakub Jedrzejak. These contents, including the so-called “statements,” do not reflect the position of WKB Lawyers or its attorneys.
Today, September 1st, Szczerek posted on Facebook to apologize for his actions. He acknowledged his poor judgment, said he acted in the heat of the moment believing the hat was meant for his sons, and emphasized that it was never his intention to hurt the child.
Source: Facebook, Piotr Szczerek
In his statement, he said he had returned the hat to the boy. However, in a GoWork post from the day before, August 31st, he mentioned that he had decided to put the cap up for auction. The translation reads:
I am deeply impressed by the response to the recent incident involving me – or rather, my actions – which, as I’ve only just realized after reading countless comments here and on other social media platforms, were deserving of contempt and condemnation.
If there is still time to express remorse and make amends, I want to do it now. Not because I fear the consequences, such as damage to the reputation of my company or my family – that has already happened. I understand this and am grateful for the lesson in humility given to me by the people who expressed their outrage, even in the most blunt ways.
I deserve every insulting comment and I ask for a second chance. For forgiveness, if it is ever possible. I write this with tears in my eyes and trembling hands. I will do everything I can to repay my debt to that poor boy and to society. To restore not only my own name but also that of my homeland, Poland.
That’s why I decided to put the famous cap up for auction, with the proceeds going to charity. Let me know what you think about it.
So, the exact fate of that cap remains unclear for now. What we do know is that tennis player Kamil Majchrzak personally met with Brock and gave him another signed cap, along with some extra tennis memorabilia.
As Kamil mentioned earlier, he didn’t realize what was happening while giving the hat to the fan, getting distracted after his match due to both fatigue and the excitement of his victory. He acknowledged that both he and the man who took the hat were acting in the heat of the moment.
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Author: Olga Racinowska
Been with gamepressure.com since 2019, mostly writing game guides but you can also find me geeking out about LEGO (huge collection, btw). Love RPGs and classic RTSs, also adore quirky indie games. Even with a ton of games, sometimes I just gotta fire up Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, KOTOR, or Baldur's Gate 2 (Shadows of Amn, the OG, not that Throne of Bhaal stuff). When I'm not gaming, I'm probably painting miniatures or admiring my collection of retro consoles.
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