Man apologizes for snatching hat from young boy at US Open, says he made ‘huge mistake’
By Ben Morse, Aleks Klosok, CNN
(CNN) — The man who has been criticized after footage of him snatching a hat off a young boy at the US Open went viral has apologized, saying he made a “huge mistake.”
Piotr Szczerek, identified as a Polish chief executive, was seen taking a hat from Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak as he tried to give it to the young fan after his second round win against Karen Khachanov on Thursday.
Majchrzak took off his cap and appeared to pass it to the boy who was clutching a giant tennis ball with both hands. As the boy reached out to take the cap, Szczerek standing next to him snatched it away and gave it to a woman who put it in her handbag despite the boy’s visible protestations. The boy and Szczerek appeared not to know each other.
The clip subsequently went viral on social media, with many criticizing Szczerek’s behavior.
On Monday, Szczerek apologized for his actions in a post on Facebook, saying he believed “the tennis player was handing his cap to me,” more specifically to his sons who had “earlier asked for autographs.”
“That mistaken belief made me reach out instinctively. Today I know I did something that looked like deliberately taking a souvenir from a child,” he wrote. “That was not my intention, but it does not change the fact that I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans.
“The cap has been handed to the boy, and I have apologized to the family. I hope this has at least partially repaired the damage done.”
Szczerek added: “For years, my wife and I have been involved in helping children and young athletes, but this situation showed me that one moment of inattention can undo years of work and support.
“This is a painful but necessary lesson in humility for me. Therefore, I will be even more active in initiatives that support children and youth and in efforts against violence and hate. I believe that only through actions can I rebuild the trust I have lost.”
He concluded his statement by saying: “I apologize to everyone I let down.”
According to Polish outlet Tenis Magazyn, Szczerek and his wife Anna founded the paving company Drogbruk in 1999.
In the days after the incident, Majchrzak met the fan who was denied his hat, giving him a US Open-branded bag of gifts, including another cap, and posed for photos alongside him.
“Today after warm up, I had a nice meeting,” he wrote on his Instagram story. “Do you recognize (cap emoji)?”
“Hello world, together with Brock, we wish you a great day,” he wrote in another story.
Fellow Polish tennis player Iga Świątek was asked about the pitfalls that come with giving away apparel to fans after matches and explained that she attempts to be considerate when she’s doing it.
“Obviously usually, like, seven people reach out for one thing. For example, if it’s a girl and the boys have longer arms, she’s not going to catch it,” the six-time grand slam winner told reporters after her round-of-16 victory at Flushing Meadows on Monday. “But I usually throw, like, at the person that is supposed to get it.
“So I try to be fair kind of, but I pick a person kind of randomly or whoever shouts louder. I know it’s not fair, but obviously not everybody is going to be happy.”
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CNN’s Issy Ronald contributed to this report.
