Polish CEO Piotr Szczerek’s Absurd Defense After Stealing Kid’s Hat at US Open Goes Viral

The internet loves a good villain story, and boy did they get one at this year’s US Open. What started as a heartwarming moment between tennis pro Kamil Majchrzak and a young fan named Brock quickly turned into the most cringe-worthy display of adult behavior you’ll see this year. Enter Piotr Szczerek, Polish millionaire and CEO of Drogbruk, who somehow thought it was perfectly acceptable to snatch a signed tennis cap right out of a kid’s hands. But wait—it gets worse. His defense? Pure comedy gold.

The Moment That Broke the Internet

Picture this: Polish tennis player Kamil Majchrzak just pulled off the biggest win of his career, defeating ninth-seeded Karen Khachanov in a grueling five-set match at the US Open. The crowd’s going wild, emotions are running high, and Majchrzak does what any decent human being would do—he walks over to the stands to share the moment with his fans.

He spots young Brock in the crowd, takes off his cap, and tosses it toward the kid. It’s the kind of moment that makes sports beautiful, right? Wrong. Because apparently, Szczerek had other plans.

Before Brock could even react, this 40-something millionaire—who, by the way, owns his own private tennis court—swoops in like some sort of souvenir vulture and grabs the hat. The kid’s face says it all: pure confusion and heartbreak. Meanwhile, Szczerek casually stuffs the cap into his wife’s purse like he just scored the deal of the century at a garage sale.

The optics couldn’t have been worse if he’d tried. A wealthy businessman stealing a memento from a child? That’s not just bad PR—that’s supervillain territory.

Szczerek’s “Defense” Makes Everything Worse

Most people caught in such an embarrassing situation would issue a quick apology, maybe send the kid some signed gear, and hope the whole thing blows over. Not Piotr Szczerek. This guy doubled down harder than a blackjack player with a gambling problem.

In what can only be described as the most tone-deaf public statement of 2024, Szczerek essentially told the world he regrets nothing. “Yes, I took it. Yes, I did it quickly. But as I’ve always said, life is first come, first served,” he declared, apparently channeling his inner kindergarten bully.

First come, first served? Dude, we’re talking about a hat thrown specifically to a child, not the last slice of pizza at a frat party. The audacity is almost impressive in its complete disconnect from reality.

But wait, there’s more. Szczerek then had the nerve to threaten legal action against anyone criticizing him online. “All offensive comments, slander, and insinuations will be analyzed for the possibility of taking the matter to court,” he warned. Because nothing says “I’m totally in the right here” like threatening to sue people for calling out your terrible behavior.

The Internet Does What the Internet Does Best

Social media didn’t hold back. The collective roasting of Szczerek was swift and merciless. Users called him everything from a “jerk” to a “coward,” with one particularly brutal comment summing up the general sentiment: “Only an ordinary idiot and a jerk could snatch a hat from a child’s hands.”

The memes started flowing faster than you could say “first come, first served.” People began review-bombing his company, Drogbruk, with the firm’s rating plummeting to 1.4 stars on various platforms. Suddenly, everyone became an expert on Polish asphalt companies, and spoiler alert—they weren’t impressed.

One commenter perfectly captured the absurdity: “Next time, we wouldn’t want to run him through to lay asphalt.” Ouch. When you’re getting roasted by people who probably couldn’t find Poland on a map, you know you’ve really messed up.

The Plot Thickens: Enter the Fake Lawyer Statement

Just when you thought this story couldn’t get any weirder, someone (allegedly Szczerek’s lawyer, though this was later disputed) released a statement that defied all logic and human decency. The supposed legal defense characterized the hat-snatching as an “educational gesture” designed to teach young Brock about gratitude and responsibility.

Yes, you read that correctly. According to this bizarre statement, Szczerek wasn’t stealing from a child—he was providing a valuable life lesson. The mental gymnastics required to reach that conclusion deserve their own Olympic event.

The statement was quickly removed after the actual lawyer claimed he’d been misrepresented, but the damage was done. The internet had found its new favorite meme format, and “educational gesture” became the punchline to end all punchlines.

Majchrzak Saves the Day

While Szczerek was busy becoming the most hated man on social media, Kamil Majchrzak was quietly being a decent human being. After learning about the controversy through social media (because apparently the whole world saw it except him), the tennis pro tracked down young Brock and made things right.

Majchrzak met with the kid, gave him multiple signed caps, and turned what could have been a traumatic experience into something positive. The gesture was widely praised and served as a perfect contrast to Szczerek’s behavior. Here was a professional athlete showing what sportsmanship and class actually look like.

The Aftermath: A Millionaire’s Reputation in Ruins

So where do we stand now? Brock got his hat (plus extras), Majchrzak emerged as the hero of the story, and Szczerek became internet infamous for all the wrong reasons. His company continues to face negative reviews, and his name has become synonymous with selfishness and poor judgment.

The irony isn’t lost on anyone. A millionaire who could probably buy a warehouse full of signed tennis gear chose instead to steal a single cap from a child. Then, when called out for it, he essentially told the world that might makes right and threatened to sue anyone who disagreed.

What This Really Says About Sportsmanship

Look, we’ve all seen adults behave badly at sporting events. The parent screaming at Little League umpires, the fan who takes a foul ball away from a kid—these stories aren’t new. But there’s something particularly galling about Szczerek’s actions and his subsequent defense.

This wasn’t a heat-of-the-moment mistake. This was a calculated decision followed by an even worse attempt at justification. It’s one thing to mess up; it’s another to double down and act like you’re the victim when people call you out for it.

The fact that a wealthy businessman felt entitled to take something meant for a child, then had the audacity to lecture the world about “first come, first served,” speaks to a level of privilege and disconnection that’s genuinely shocking.

The Lesson We Can All Learn

If there’s a silver lining to this whole mess, it’s that it perfectly illustrates the difference between being rich and having class. Szczerek may have millions in the bank, but his actions at the US Open showed he’s bankrupt where it counts.

Meanwhile, Majchrzak—who probably makes a fraction of what Szczerek does—showed true character by making things right with Brock. The contrast couldn’t be starker.

In the end, this story will be remembered not for the tennis match that started it all, but for the millionaire who thought “first come, first served” applied to stealing from children, and the athlete who proved that real champions know how to make things right.