US Open 2025: From a touching gesture to global outrage
At the US Open 2025, Polish tennis player Kamil Majchrzak celebrated his five-set victory by handing his signed cap to a young fan in the stands. It was a moment of gratitude and sportsmanship, destined to remain a heartwarming highlight.
But the scene quickly spiraled into scandal. Piotr Szczerek, a wealthy Polish businessman and CEO of Drogbruk, grabbed the cap from the child and slipped it into his wife’s bag, ignoring the boy’s visible protest.
The viral video that shocked millions
Cameras captured the entire sequence, and within hours the footage went viral worldwide. Millions condemned the act as an abuse of power against a child, fueling a wave of anger and criticism.
The backlash didn’t stop at Szczerek himself. His company Drogbruk, a well-established player in the construction industry, faced boycotts, online campaigns, and severe reputational damage that rippled across business relations.
Majchrzak steps in to mend the moment
While Szczerek deleted his social media accounts under pressure, Majchrzak took a different approach. The tennis player personally met the young fan and gifted him another signed cap, a gesture that helped restore dignity and shifted the focus back to the values of sport.
A lesson on the power of social media
This incident demonstrates how, in the digital age, even a seemingly minor act can trigger enormous consequences. The speed of online sharing has the power to dismantle reputations overnight and destabilize even solid businesses.
The US Open 2025 cap scandal will be remembered as a striking example of how sports, public image, and social media have become inseparably intertwined.
