The person on the middle of probably the most ordinary US Open controversies has in the end damaged his silence. Piotr Szczerek, the Polish CEO filmed snatching a signed cap from a kid, admitted he made a “severe mistake” after the viral clip grew to become him into the web’s newest villain.“I wish to unequivocally say sorry to the boy who was once harmed, his circle of relatives, in addition to all of the enthusiasts and the participant himself,” Szczerek wrote on Instagram. “This can be a painful however important lesson in humility for me.”“Within the feelings, within the crowd’s pleasure after the victory, I used to be satisfied that the tennis participant was once handing the cap in my route — for my sons, who had previous requested for autographs,” he added.“This can be a painful however important lesson in humility for me.”However whilst his apology struck a somber tone, the web hasn’t been fast to forgive – or fail to remember.The seize that surprised enthusiastsThe drama started after Polish tennis big name Kamil Majchrzak’s victory on the 2025 US Open. As he leaned down handy a signed cap to a tender fan named Brok, Szczerek swooped in, snatched it mid-air, and stashed it in his spouse’s purse. Cameras stuck each and every 2d, and inside hours the clip went viral international.What will have to had been a heartwarming post-match second straight away turned into a PR crisis.Web detectives strikeIt didn’t take lengthy for social media sleuths to spot the thriller guy because the CEO of Drogbruk, a paving stone and landscaping corporate in Poland. Assessment websites lit up with indignant one-star feedback, memes unfold like wildfire, and captions mocked him as the whole thing from “CEO of stealing goals” to “The paving stone Grinch.”One livid person wrote, “Not anything is extra disgusting than a kid bully… stealing the cap of Kamil Majchrzak right through america Open. Disgusting folks.”Hero transfer from the participantSensing the backlash, Majchrzak stepped in to save lots of the day. He for my part met Brok, gave him any other signed cap, or even added further memorabilia. The web applauded the gesture, praising the tennis participant for restoring what Szczerek had taken away.The apology that just about worked-until it didn’tSzczerek’s Instagram apology looked like the beginning of wear and tear keep an eye on. However then got here screenshots from a Polish on-line discussion board, the place he had reportedly defended himself with an excessively other tone previous announcing, “Sure, I took it. Existence is first-come, first-served. It’s only a hat. For those who had been quicker, you might have it.”That contradictory remark reignited the anger, with critics calling his apology hole.Fallout continuesSince then, Szczerek has deactivated his social media, however the web hasn’t let cross. Memes now display him grabbing the whole thing from Wimbledon trophies to Tremendous Bowl rings. His corporate, in the meantime, stays underneath scrutiny because the saga drags on.