The CEO of the millionaire who snatched Hat de Boy in the tennis match says he made a “huge mistake”
The director of the Polish company Piotr Szczerek, who was at the reception of an internet storm after a widely broadcast video showed him snatching a tennis hat from a young fan during a television match, apologized on Facebook, qualifying the incident of “big error” in a declaration to the BBC and recognizing his “extremely low judgment”.
The viral moment took place last Thursday at the US Open, when the Polish tennis player Kamil Majchrzak, fresh of his upset victory against Karen Khachanov, ninth seed, seemed to give his cap signed to a young fan named Brock. While the boy reached the hat, Szczerek, who stood nearby, quickly caught him and placed him in a bag worn by a woman with him.
The incident was captured on live television and quickly spread on social networks, the video accumulating millions of views and arousing intense criticism. Users condemned Szczerek’s behavior, some calling him “the most hated man on the Internet”. You can look at the incident below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_gasqcodrs
Who is Piotr Szczrek?
SZCZEREK is the CEO and co -founder of DROGBRUK, a Polish paving and landscaping company that he created in 1999 with his wife, Anna. Based in Błaszki, Poland, the company specializes in cobblestones, concrete slabs, closing systems and decorative landscaping solutions. Drogbruk has become a prosperous company that sponsors local sports programs, including tennis tournaments and the Poland Davis Cup team. Szczerek is deeply involved in tennis, having a private tennis court in his luxury house in Kalisz and co -owner of Calissia Tennis Pro Club.
Initially, Szczerek did not apologize for his actions during the tennis match. Instead, he doubled with a statement on the Polish Employment Forum Gowork which only intensified the counterpoup, writing: “The recent incident in the tennis match caused a disproportionate online tumult. This is the famous hat, of course. Yes, I took it. Yes, I did it quickly. But as I always said, life first came.
He continued: “I understand that some people might not like him, but please do not make a world hat scandal. It’s just a hat. If you were faster, you have it.”
The declaration ended with threats of legal proceedings against criticism: “I remind you that the insult of a public figure is subject to legal responsibility. All offensive comments, slander and innuendo will be analyzed for the possibility of bringing the case before the courts. ”
The commentary on the “first arrival, first served”, in particular, sparked a wave of criticisms even more serious online. But this time, the backlash has extended to his business, Drogruk being “bombarded by Google” while its rating fell to 1.2 stars of more than 600 opinions, mostly displayed in the hours following the viral of the incident. The company’s Trustpilot page has also been flooded with negative examination referring to the hat incident. Trustpilot finally closed the company’s page to new opinions due to media attention.
Apologies and course correction
After having faced days of international conviction, SZCZEREK changed CAP on Monday and presented full apology, writing on Facebook: “I would like to apologize unequivocally to the young boy, his family, all fans and the player himself. I take responsibility for my extremely bad judgment and my hurtful actions.”
The CEO said that he had misunderstood the situation, believing that Majchrzak was holding the hat for his own sons, who had already asked for autographs. “I was caught in the warmth of the moment and the joy of victory, wrongly thinking that Majchrzak was holding my hat to give to my sons.
“No matter what I thought I happened, my actions hurt the young boy and disappointed the fans. The hat was returned to the boy, and excuses were made to the family.” SZCZEREK also said that the previous statements allocated online had been manufactured had been manufactured, distancing itself from the “first arrival, first served” comments.
The incident finally had a positive result for Brock, the young fan at the center of the controversy. The tennis player Majchrzak, who was initially not aware that the hat had been taken, launched a social media campaign to locate the boy after seeing the viral video. In a few days, Majchrzak managed to connect with Brock and his family, meeting the boy to present a replacement hat and additional American goods, sharing photos of their reunion on Instagram.
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