Man who snatched hat from boy at U.S. Open apologizes for 'hurtful actions'

[LetMyPeopleVote]

I saw some place the stock price for this asshole's company declined. This apology is late and not that believable

Link to tweet

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/09/01/us-open-hat-stolen-polish-ceo-apology/

A Polish businessman issued an apology Monday after taking a hat that a player at the U.S. Open appeared to be trying to give to a child.

“I take full responsibility for my extremely poor judgment and hurtful actions,” Piotr Szczerek said in a statement posted to social media channels for the paving company he reportedly founded. “It was never my intent to steal away a prized memento from the young fan. I became caught up in the heat of the moment and the joy of the victory.”

The incident occurred Thursday after Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak defeated ninth-seeded Karen Khachanov during second-round play. Video showed Majchrzak, positioned directly in front of a young boy in the stands, signing autographs for fans and taking off his hat. Majchrzak then turned to sign some more items presented by other fans as he held the hat in front of him, in the direction of the boy, when a man grabbed the hat.

I saw the statements made by this asshole and posted on this board
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=20599966
This asshole is claiming that these statements were not made by him

Szczerek and his wife were depicted as major tennis enthusiasts in a 2021 profile published by a Polish magazine focused on the sport. On Saturday, comments posted on a Polish job-review website that were attributed to Szczerek caused a furor online for their disparaging tone toward the boy. The comments, which have since been removed, were not verified to have come from Szczerek.

In his statement Monday, Szczerek said that “neither I nor my wife nor my sons commented on this situation on social media or on any other platform. … All statements appearing online accredited to us were false and were not authored by us or our representatives.”

I still believe that this asshole was responsible for his original statements and is only apologizing because his company is getting hammered by his conduct.

I was please that the tennis pro reached out and gave the young boy a new autographed hat.

Majchrzak’s U.S. Open run ended Sunday when he was forced to retire during the first set of a match against Leandro Riedi with what the Pole, ranked 76th on the ATP Tour, described as a torn intercostal muscle.

Link to tweet

[Ritabert]

1. Finally realizing: "When you're in a hole, stop digging."

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. I agree

This asshole's company must be really getting hammered due to this asshole's conduct

[SheltieLover]

17. Good!

[Hekate]

3. So there must have been blowback from his original threat to sue the socks of anyone who objected. Good...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=20599966

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Bullshit. It has all the earmarks of an attorney who

advised Szczerek and set up and staged the public "apology".

I recognize the template of the "apology" because I have used the same for past law clients (and did a more convincing job).

[LetMyPeopleVote]

6. I agree, this was not a well done apology

The attorneys on DU could all do a far better job on this matter in part by keeping this asshole from making the original statements and by not waiting to apologize

[spooky3]

8. Narcissists and sociopaths are clueless about how different they are

from normal people.

[no_hypocrisy]

12. My bad. You're correct. I fixed it. Thank you.

[Irish_Dem]

5. He hired a crisis management PR team who wrote this press release for him.

[spooky3]

7. Video of Majchrzak's meeting with the boy's family

https://youtube.com/shorts/aFvg4-fGEDw?feature=shared

Just after the theft, he posted on social media to ask for help in identifying and finding the boy. Kudos to him for that.

[RockRaven]

10. The thing about disclaiming the nasty Polish language social media posts

supposedly from himself and his wife, on the grounds that they were new accounts which anyone could have made, is that an asshat who has stumbled into a PR disaster may attempt to defend themselves and end up making the PR disaster worse. That is a thing which happens in this world, it is seen often.

So just as one cannot be certain those posts are from him and his wife, one also cannot be certain that those posts are fraudulent as they have claimed.

Here's what I do know: what my lying eyes saw in the video. That is all, and it is also enough.

[mackdaddy]

11. The only 'Hurt' he is worried about is to his own bottom line.

I still think he should be tried and convicted for petty theft and do a few hundred hours picking up trash along the highway.

[Prairie Gates]

14. Really?

I still believe that this asshole was responsible for his original statements and is only apologizing because his company is getting hammered by his conduct.

What's your basis for this belief? Comments posted on a "job review website?" That's it?

[yardwork]

20. To me, his actions speak loudly.

I don't really care if his subsequent posts were him or not, just as I don't care about this awkwardly worded apology some PR firm or lawyer wrote for him.

He did what he did and we all saw it. Words can't fix this or make it worse. Only actions can fix it.

[Grim Chieftain]

15. Apology not accepted

He ruined a huge moment in this young fellow's life. It can't be undone. Shame.

[in2herbs]

16. I read in an international article that his apology was for the US only and that in the papers in his

country he and his wife are not apologizing for his actions.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

19. That does not surprise me

[Paladin]

18. Take your apology and shove it up your ass. Sideways. (nt)