The man caught on video swiping a tennis star’s hat from a young fan at the US Open has finally issued an apology, admitting he made “a huge mistake” in what many are calling the most pathetic grab since Boris Johnson went for that charity rugby tackle.
I’ve seen pickpockets, I’ve seen ticket scams, but a millionaire fighting a child for a sweaty tennis hat is a new low for capitalism.
Joe McEnroe, tennis fan
Piotr Szczerek, a millionaire paving company boss from Poland, became infamous overnight after cameras showed him lunging for the cap that Polish player Kamil Majchrzak was clearly handing to a boy named Brock. The child was left stunned, asking the now-viral question: “What are you doing?” which online users immediately decided could double as the title of Szczerek’s autobiography.
Internet sleuths tracked down Szczerek within hours, dubbing him “the most hated man on the internet” and comparing him to a playground bully who steals lunch money but insists it was for charity. Facing a tidal wave of anger, Szczerek eventually returned the hat and posted a lengthy apology on Instagram, although he turned off comments, citing “concern for my family” which critics translated as “concern for my ego.”
In his apology, Szczerek claimed he thought the hat was meant for him, saying: “In the heat of the moment I believed the player was passing the cap to me for my sons. Sadly it looked like I deliberately robbed a child, and unfortunately I have the exact face of someone who would deliberately rob a child.”
