Piotr Szczerek, the head of a Polish paving company, has unexpectedly earned the title of "the most-hated man in America" after a viral incident at the US Open, and now he's facing serious backlash.

While there are certainly many famous figures who might be considered the 'most-hated' in America, Szczerek’s situation is a bit more unexpected, as he runs Drogbruk, a paving company based in Poland.

The controversy began after Szczerek was caught on camera seemingly taking a signed hat from a young boy at the US Open. The boy, named Brock, had been waiting for an autograph from tennis player Kamil Majchrzak, who had just defeated Karen Khachanov. Although Majchrzak later reassured people on social media that the hat did indeed make its way to Brock, the incident went viral, and Szczerek became the subject of widespread criticism. This comes shortly after Merch.com CEO Ikey Bensimhon also found himself in trouble for being labeled a 'dog abuser' following a viral incident at a festival.

In an effort to make amends, Szczerek posted an apology on Facebook, describing the situation as a "huge mistake." The CEO of Drogbruk wrote: "Due to the incident during Kamil Majchrzak’s match at the US Open, I would like to sincerely apologize to the affected boy, his family, the fans, and the player himself. I made a huge mistake."

He continued: "In the heat of the moment, surrounded by the crowd celebrating the victory, I mistakenly thought the tennis player had tossed his hat in my direction—for my sons, who had asked for autographs earlier. This misunderstanding led me to reach out, but now I realize it looked like I was intentionally taking the child’s souvenir."
  
Szczerek emphasized that it was never his intention to upset the boy, acknowledging, "It doesn’t change the fact that I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans."

He concluded with: "The hat was returned to the boy, and I’ve apologized to his family. I hope that, to some extent, I’ve been able to mend the hurt caused."

Szczerek also clarified that neither he, his wife, nor his sons had commented on the situation online or used any legal services regarding the matter. "Any statements appearing online attributed to us are not ours," he added.

This apology follows accusations that some social media posts, allegedly by Szczerek and his family, were mocking the situation, further fueling the backlash.

Despite his apology, it may not be enough for many. Drogbruk is currently facing a wave of negative reviews online, with the company’s Google rating plummeting to just 1.3 stars.

Although Szczerek likely wants to move past this controversy, the internet has a long memory, and the damage may linger.