"Very bizarre and unnecessary"; "Someone needs to lose their job" - Fans shocked by Jakub Mensik's mid-match anti-doping fiasco at Next-Gen ATP Finals

Jakub Mensik had a bizarre experience at the ongoing 2024 Next-Gen ATP Finals. The Czech youngster was asked to undergo an anti-doping test during his Round Robin match against top seed Arthur Fils. Mensik was visibly frustrated with the development, and so were fans, who later criticized the controversial incident via social media.

Mensik lost the first two sets 2-4, 3-4(4) to Fils. Following the conclusion of the second set, the talented 19-year-old took a toilet break, and it was at this point that he was asked to provide a urine sample for an anti-doping test.

After the Czech reappeared on the court, he complained about the situation to umpire Nacho Forcadell, who himself appeared baffled at the situation.

Several fans took to X (formerly Twitter) and lashed out at what Jakub Mensik was subjected to.

"I will need to read the ITIA rules on this one. seems very bizarre and unnecessary when it can be done before or after the match," a fan wrote.

"Absolute and total bulls**t! And someone needs to lose their job over it," commented another fan.

"This is ridiculous," another chimed in.

Some fans also brought up Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek's doping controversies, suggesting that very little was done by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in terms of punishing the Italian and the Pole.

"If they do this in the main tournaments Clostebinner (ridiculing Sinner, who twice tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol) won't win any shit in 2025," a fan wrote.

"Absolutely insane. And when people do test positive, ITIA do absolutely nothing about it," another added.

"Wow, it's like "you guys calling us out for covering top 2 players? fine, let's go extra harsh on the others"," weighed in another fan.

Jakub Mensik would eventually go on to lose the match to Arthur Fils after the Frenchman won the third set 4-2. The Czech youngster's fate in the tournament now not only depends on his result against Joao Fonseca, who is currently sitting pretty at the top of the Blue Group after two back-to-back wins but also on the outcome of the match between Fils and Learner Tien.

Christopher Eubanks, who is covering the year-end event as an analyst, later shared his thoughts on Jakub Mensik's sudden mid-match anti-doping test.

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Jakub Mensik's controversial Next-Gen ATP Finals 2024 anti-doping incident was assessed by Christopher Eubanks

Christopher Eubanks (Source: Getty)

ATP star Christopher Eubanks, an analyst for Tennis Channel's coverage of the 2024 Next-Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, said in the aftermath of Jakub Mensik's loss to Arthur Fils that the authorities have the right to ask players to undergo anti-doping tests before or after matches. However, Eubanks said that someone in the team assigned the responsibility of conducting the test was not aware of the rules.

"Well, as long as you're not in the course of a match, yes they can (ask players to undergo anti-doping tests). That's what whereabouts is about, but to come up to a player during a toilet break in the midst of a match and say, 'Hey, you have a doping test', I think it just came down to somebody didn't understand the rules," Eubanks told Tennis Channel.

The ATP and the ITIA have so far remained tight-lipped regarding the incident and haven't offered any explanations.