Featured Image Credit: Eurosport
Topics: Money, Social Media, Sport, US News
Rhiannon Ingle
A millionaire CEO's apology after 'stealing' from a child during the US Open last week (28 August) has sparked a major question online.
Piotr Szczerek came under fire following a match where Polish tennis player, Kamil Majchrzak, defeated Russia's Karen Khachanov in the second round before doing a victory lap around the court where he said hello to a boy named Brock.
Majchrzak later took off his cap and appeared to hand it to Brock before Szczerek, the CEO of a paving company, appeared to 'snatch' the cap away before popping it into a bag - an act that clearly left the young fan absolutely stunned.
It didn't take long for the now-viral clip to take the internet by storm which has since forced Szczerek to come forward and apologise for his 'huge mistake'.
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However, despite the apology, people have been left with a pretty major question over whether or not he returned the hat to who should have been its rightful owner.
"He has since apologised, and cleared up the record. Still a jerk, but good for him for admitting the mistake," penned one X user, while a second hit back: "No mention of him giving the hat back either. Definitely still a jerk."
The first X user agreed: "Kamil Majchrzak (the player) has already met with the young fan and showered him with gifts, including a hat.
"As for the millionaire, you're absolutely right. He speaks with contrition, but has yet to act with it."
"A substitute hat was a kind gesture from Kamil, but the actual hat he was wearing that day is irreplaceable. The CEO should return the stolen hat! If not, his apology was phoney," declared the second X user.
Meanwhile, others also claimed such an apology was 'forced'.
Well, online critics will be happy to know that Szczerek has since given the hat back to the child.
The CEO has shared a series of statements to Facebook following the backlash with the latest one posted yesterday (1 September) reading: "In connection with the incident that occurred during Kamill Majchrzak’s match at the US Open, I would like to unequivocally apologise to the young boy, his family, all the fans, and the player himself.
"I take full responsibility for my extremely poor judgment and hurtful actions. 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, and I believed Majchrzak was handing a hat to me to give to my sons, who had previously asked for autographs. Regardless of what I believed was happening, the actions I took hurt the young boy and disappointed the fans."
He continued: "I have sent the hat back to the boy and extended my sincere apologies to his family. I hope, at least to a small extent, I was able to repair the harm I caused.
"I also want to state clearly: neither I nor my wife nor my sons commented on this situation on social media or on any other platform. We did not hire any law firm regarding this matter. All statements appearing online accredited to us were false and were not authored by us or our representatives.
"For years, my wife and I have been involved in supporting children and young athletes, but this incident has shown me that a moment of inattention can undo years of work and support. It is a painful but necessary lesson in humility."
Rounding off the post, Szczerek: "Going forward, I will engage even more actively in initiatives that support children and youth, and I will take actions against violence and hate. I believe that only through actions can I rebuild the trust I have lost.
"Once again, I apologise to everyone I let down.
"Please understand — for the sake of my family, I have decided to disable the ability to comment on this post. Sincerely, Piotr Szczerek."
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After footage of the incident went viral, the athlete released a statement online, claiming he was aware of the controversy.
"After the match I didn't record that my cap didn't get to the boy," the 29-year-old player wrote on social media.
"Thanks to Asics Tennis I've got enough caps, so I'm prepared for that. Hey guys, could you help me find the kid from my match? If it's you (or your parents see this), please send me a DM."
Hours later, he shared another post, revealing he'd since made contact with Brock's family.
"I am impressed by the power of the Internet," Majchrzak gushed. "We got it! All good now."
The sportsman later met with Brock, posing for photos beside the youngster.
"Today after warm up, I had a nice meeting," Majchrzak wrote on Instagram, quipping: "Do you recognise [the cap]?"
In a second post, he added: "Hello World, together with Brock we wish you a great day!"