Australia's No.1 men's tennis player Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from next week's Davis Cup tie in the Czech Republic.
Kyrgios was expected to have his first outing since his quarter-final loss to Andy Murray at last month's Australian Open when he was named for the tie.
But an ongoing back injury has seen him pull the pin on the first round clash.
"I am totally gutted to have to pull out but the medical advice is that my back is not ready to handle the workload required for a Davis Cup tie," Kyrgios explained in a statement from Tennis Australia.
"I have been doing everything possible to get it right and I had convinced myself I could handle it, but the doctors tell me the risk is just too great. They say this simply cannot be rushed."
The Australians have named Bernard Tomic, Lleyton Hewitt, Sam Groth and Thanasi Kokkinakis in their squad, up and comer Kokkinakis the most likely singles replacement for Kyrgios.
Kyrgios's brief but spectacular career has been interspersed with a range of injuries with his back causing him the most grief.
The world No.37 reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2014 to add to his last eight appearance at Melbourne Park last month.
He was in doubt for the Australian Open before his run into the second week and hasn't returned to the circuit since the season-opening grand slam.
Australian Davis Cup captain Wally Masur said in accordance with Davis Cup rules the Australians had to name a team this week and wanted to give Kyrgios every chance to play.
"All through this Nick's attitude has been tremendous. He has been positive and desperate to get across the line," Masur said.
"But the medical advice has been consistently wary and fair enough."
Masur said there were concerns about Kyrgios flying to Europe with the state of his back.
"The medical experts say it is just not worth the risk and we have to remember that we all want Nick to have a long and successful career, so we need to ensure his recovery is as solid as it can be," Masur said.
"We just have to be patient.
"I really feel for Nick because I know how much he has put into this and how keen he was to play for his country again."
The tie in Ostrava starts next Friday, Australia still given some chance with Czech No.1 Tomas Berdych choosing not to play and veteran Radek Stepanek unavailable through injury.
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