There are PR blunders and there are catastrophes so tone-deaf they become case studies for years to come. The Polish millionaire CEO accused of snatching a tennis cap meant for a child at the U.S. Open has secured his place in the latter category. And his scrambling to apologize afterward shows the importance in crisis comms of getting it right from the start.

The Aug. 28 incident itself was damaging enough: a viral video showing a wealthy adult — Piotr Szczerek, who runs a paving-stone company — muscling a souvenir away from a child in front of millions of fans during the tennis tournament. The optics couldn’t have been worse.

But instead of moving quickly to apologize, explain and repair the harm, Szczerek doubled down. His statement, posted on a Polish job board, may go down as one of the worst PR responses in modern memory.

His words — “Yes, I took it. Yes, I did it quickly. But as I’ve always said, life is first come, first served. If you were faster, you would have it” — are breathtaking in their arrogance. As if that weren’t enough, he followed with a threat: “I remind you that insulting a public figure is subject to legal liability. All offensive comments, slander and insinuations will be analyzed for the possibility of taking the matter to court.”

Three Elements

At its core, crisis communication is about three key elements: acknowledging harm, showing empathy and providing a path forward. Szczerek did none of that. Instead, he escalated the crisis by dismissing the significance of the incident (“It’s just a hat”), mocking the aggrieved party (“If you were faster, you would have it”) and threatening the critics who voiced outrage online.

Consider the human element. The video was compelling because it showed a simple, generous gesture from a professional athlete (Polish player Kamil Majchrzak handing the child the cap) being undercut by selfishness. Fans identified with the child, not the CEO. To repair that, Szczerek needed to express empathy: a sincere apology to the boy, to his family and to tennis fans who felt they had witnessed unfairness. Even something as simple as returning the hat or offering a replacement gift could have softened the blow.

Meanwhile, Majchrzak handled the fallout brilliantly. He tracked down the boy and presented him with a new cap, sharing the moment on Instagram. His response checked all the boxes: empathy, generosity and positive optics.

Reputation Perception

Reputation isn’t just about whether one is right or wrong — it’s about perception. Szczerek’s statement cemented the perception that he’s arrogant, out of touch and vindictive. His company is reportedly being bombed with negative reviews.

He finally seemed to get the message. On Monday, he posted an apology on Facebook. He said, in part, as translated by Facebook, “This situation has shown me that a single moment of indifference can destroy years of work and support. It hurts for me, but a needed lesson in humility.” He said he would be more actively involved in activities to help children. So, he apologized and seemingly attempted to make amends.

Still, crisis communication experts will likely cite Szczerek’s first statement for years to come as a cautionary tale. The original sin, grabbing a cap intended for a child, was forgivable with the proper response. The follow-up, however, was not. By doubling down on selfishness and threatening his critics, Szczerek transformed himself from a man caught in an embarrassing viral moment into a public figure defined by arrogance.

Photo Credit: Frank Romeo/Shutterstock

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