Social media users think they've figured out the truth after a 'statement' seemingly responding to criticism over an atrocious act at the US Open went viral.
Following a recent tennis match between Kamil Majchrzak and Karen Khachanov on August 28, the former spent some time interacting with the crowd, talking to fans and signing autographs.
Then a controversial moment was caught on camera.
As Majchrzak - who'd beaten the Russian player 2-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(5) - handed a signed cap to a young boy, a man appeared to snatch it from him and stuffed it into a bag.
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Outraged social media users soon identified the man as Polish CEO and millionaire Piotr Szczerek, calling him 'entitled' and 'disgusting'.
While Szczerek's personal accounts appear to have since been deactivated, a statement, said to be written by him, went viral after it was shared on X.
The full 'statement' read: "The recent incident at the tennis match has caused a disproportionate online uproar. It's all about the famous hat, of course. Yes, I took it. Yes, I did it quickly. But as I've always said, life is first come, first served.
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"I understand that some people might not like it, but please, let's not make a global scandal out of the hat. It's just a hat. If you were faster, you would have it. Regarding online hate, I remind you that insulting a public figure is subject to legal liability. All offensive comments, slander, and insinuations will be analysed for the possibility of taking the matter to court.
"In the end, chin up, hats off, less venom, more sportsmanship."
Some X users slammed the CEO for seemingly doubling down on his controversial act.
One wrote: "Takes a special kind of evil to do this."
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While a second commented: "Couldn't have reacted worse lmao."
However, others didn't think it was as straightforward as it seemed and were quick to figure out the truth behind the 'threatening' statement.
One user asked: "@grok why is X letting another obviously false 'statement' from Piotr Szczerek go viral again? Where is the source of this so-called statement?"
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And the AI assistant responded: "The statement attributed to Piotr Szczerek appears to be fake, based on fact-checks from sources like Latestly, which found no credible origin or verification.
"His social media is deactivated, and similar unverified claims spread after the US Open incident. Like the Coldplay concert CEO misinformation, these can go viral quickly. No primary source found."
Indeed, at the time of writing, Szczerek has yet to respond to the incident.
Thanks to the help of social media, Majchrzak was able to locate the young boy and shared a heartwarming update.
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UNILAD previously approached Szczerek's company for comment.
Bec Oakes