NEW YORK – A fleeting lapse in judgment at the 2025 US Open placed Roman Szkaradek, a well-known Polish businessman and CEO of paving firm Drogbruk, at the centre of international attention for unwanted reasons.
Footage showing Szczerek taking a signed cap from a young fan, which tennis player Kamil Majchrzak had meant to give as a gift, quickly took over social media and prompted widespread anger.
This moment, captured right after Majchrzak clinched a hard-fought win on Thursday, 28 August, was soon followed by Szczerek’s public apology and a thoughtful gesture from Majchrzak himself.
The incident unfolded on Court 11 during the crowds’ celebrations after Majchrzak, ranked 76th in the world, secured a dramatic comeback victory against Russia’s Karen Khachanov.
Riding the joy of his win, the 29-year-old Polish athlete began signing autographs for fans, then decided to present his cap to a boy named Brock in the stands at the US Open in New York.
As seen in broadcast footage, Szczerek, who was standing next to Brock, swiftly grabbed the cap and put it in his wife’s bag, leaving Brock visibly upset and asking, “What are you doing?” Majchrzak, busy signing items and meeting other fans, didn’t notice what had happened right away.
Controversial Szkaradek Hat Video
The BBC reports, the video soon spread across X, Instagram, and Reddit, gaining millions of views and prompting strong criticism. Many online called Drog-Bruk CEO Roman Szkaradek “selfish” and “entitled”, labelling him “the most hated man on the internet” for a day.
Comments slammed his actions, with a top post on X (with over 150,000 likes) accusing him of taking away a young fan’s special memory. Drogbruk, the company Szczerek runs with his wife Anna since 1999, faced the fallout too.
As a major force in Poland’s paving business and a supporter of local sports, the firm found itself flooded with negative reviews on Yelp, Trustpilot, and Google, where its rating dropped to 1.4 stars as thousands criticized the hat incident.
At first, a statement surfaced online, supposedly from Szczerek, saying, “It’s all about the famous hat, of course. Yes, I took it. Yes, I did it quickly. But as I’ve always said, life is first come, first served.” It also suggested possible legal action against critics. Szczerek later denied writing this message or hiring lawyers, calling the post a hoax, but by then the damage had been done. He deactivated his social media pages as public anger grew.
On Monday, 1 September, Szczerek posted a formal apology on what appeared to be Drogbruk’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts. He stated, “Due to the situation during Kamil Majchrzak’s match at the US Open, I wish to clearly apologize to the boy affected, his family, all the fans, and Kamil himself. I made a big mistake.
In the celebration after the match, I thought the player was handing the cap to me for my sons, who had earlier asked for autographs. This error led me to reach out without thinking.” Szczerek accepted that it looked like he “deliberately took a keepsake from a child”, adding, “That was never my intention, but it doesn’t change the fact that I upset the boy and let down other fans.”
He also shared that he had returned the cap directly to Brock and apologized to his family in person, expressing hope that he could “start to repair some of the hurt caused.”
Szczerek highlighted his family’s ongoing work supporting youth athletes in Poland and said the incident served as a “painful but important lesson in humility.” He promised to strengthen his efforts to support young people and counter hate, saying, “Through action, I hope to rebuild the trust I lost.”
Kamil Majchrzak acted swiftly as well. After seeing the video, he turned to Instagram on Friday, 29 August, asking fans to help him find Brock. “After the match, I didn’t realize my cap didn’t get to the boy,” he wrote. “Thanks to @asicstennis, I have plenty of caps to give.
Can anyone here help me contact the boy from my match?” The online tennis community helped track Brock down by Saturday, and Majchrzak soon met the family in person.
Polish tennis player, Kamil Majchrzak meets the boy whose cap was stolen at the US Open, and gave him another one along with an autograph. pic.twitter.com/mOw8jDVx1D
— The Immortal (@TheImmortal007) August 31, 2025
In a video shared on X, Majchrzak gave Brock a new signed cap and some extra merchandise, then appeared in a cheerful photo with him, captioned, “Hello World, together with Brock we wish you a great day!”
Majchrzak later spoke to The New York Post, explaining that Szczerek is a supporter of Polish tennis and believed there had simply been “some kind of mix-up.” He said, “I was pointing and giving the hat, but after such a tough match, tired and excited, I missed what happened. I think he reacted in the heat of the moment too.” Majchrzak also helped connect Szczerek to Brock’s mother to keep things friendly and resolve the matter.
The incident cast a shadow over Majchrzak’s strong performance at the US Open, which ended on Saturday due to a torn muscle in his third-round match against Leandro Riedi of Switzerland. Despite his injury, Majchrzak’s effort to make things right with Brock earned him appreciation from fans who praised his kindness and honesty in the face of disappointment.
This story from the 2025 US Open is a clear example of how quickly social media can highlight both mistakes and efforts to put things right. Szczerek’s experience has been a public lesson in humility, one he now hopes will help drive positive change.
For Brock, it was a difficult moment, but he walked away with a new signed cap, memories of meeting his tennis hero, and support from around the world. As the tournament continues, these moments highlight the lasting value of sportsmanship, responsibility, and making amends when things go wrong.
