Tennis star Kamil Majchrzak is getting a lot of good press after doing something nice for a youngster whose hat was seized by a CEO.
After Polish tennis player Hubert Hurkacz beat ninth seed Karen Khachanov in a thrilling five-set battle on August 28, he paused to sign autographs for spectators at Court 11 at the US Open.
A small child named Brock was in the crowd, and he looked quite happy when Majchrzak gave him a signed Asics cap.
But while the cameras filmed, a man standing nearby was seen snatching the hat from the boy and putting it in his bag. This made Brock quite angry.
People on social media were outraged by the incident, calling it “disgusting” and “bullying.”
One person even said, “Good job on the player for showing the kid that there is still some justice in this world.”
Majchrzak didn’t know what had happened at first, but after he watched the viral video, he quickly went to Instagram to make things right. Hey everyone, could you help me find the kid who commented about my match @usopen @eurosportpl?
It didn’t take long for fans to support the cause. Majchrzak got back together with the boy soon after and posted a series of emotional pictures and videos of them together.
I’m glad the kid got a new hat. One fan said, “A lot of players wouldn’t do this, but he goes the extra mile.” Another person said, “The tennis player is Kamil Majchrzak, and that’s a class act.” He deserves a round of applause.
Majchrzak told The New York Post what happened: “I was pointing, giving the hat, but I had a lot going on after my match. I was really tired and really excited about the win.” I just missed it. I had an expression that made me look dead, if you know what I mean. In the heat of the moment, I’m sure the guy was likewise acting on his emotions.
He also said that Brock got another cap with help from @asicstennis and that he had given the individual who took the hat Brock’s mom’s contact information so he could get in touch with her personally.
That man, who is now known as Piotr Szczerek, is a Polish millionaire and the CEO of the paving company Drogbruk. He later admitted to being the person in the video and gave a long public apology.
Szczerek wrote in a Facebook post, according to The Sun, “Because of what happened during Kamil Majchrzak’s match at the US Open, I want to clearly apologize to the hurt boy, his family, all the fans, and the player himself.” I messed up big time.
He said it was all a mistake that happened after the game.
I was sure that the tennis player tipped his hat in my direction since I was so happy that the audience was cheering after the win. My sons had requested for autographs earlier. I pulled out my hand because I thought I was wrong. I know now that what I did today seemed like I was trying to gather the child’s keepsake on purpose.
I didn’t mean to do this, but it doesn’t change the reality that I harmed the boy and let the fans down. The youngster got the hat, and the family got an apology. I hope so. Only Partly. I have fixed the damage that was done.
Szczerek also made it clear that he and his family had not said anything else online: I also want to make it clear that neither I, my wife, nor my sons have spoken anything about this matter on social media or any other site. We have not hired any legal offices to help us with this. We did not make any of the remarks that are being said online.
As the criticism grew, Drogbruk’s reputation quickly took a hit. The company’s Google rating fell to 1.4 stars, and Trustpilot pulled down its page completely because of all the media attention.
Szczerek said that this had an effect: “For years, my wife and I have been helping kids and young athletes, but this situation has shown that one moment of not caring can ruin years of work and support.” It upsets me, but it’s a lesson in humility that I need. I think that deeds are the only way to repair trust that has been lost.
He said, “I’m sorry to anyone I let down again.” Please understand that I turned off the comments on this page for the sake of my family.