The hip-related injury that forced Rafael Nadal out of the Australian Open has led to his withdrawal from the ATP tournament in Mexico, and a possible second-round match against Thanasi Kokkinakis.
World No.2 Nadal was due to face countryman Feliciano Lopez but said he had decided not to compete on the advice of his medical team.
The Spaniard said he felt a sharp pain during his final training session a day before his opening-round match but doesn't believe it is as bad as what forced him out of the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.
"Doctors have told me that it is impossible to play, regardless of whether it hurts," the 16-time Grand Slam winner said.
"There is a significant risk of increasing the injury and I have no choice.
"I was well prepared to play and I had hopes of doing something important here."
Lucky loser Taro Daniel of Japan was parachuted into the first round against Lopez, with the winner to face Kokkinakis.
The Australian wildcard beat Alexander Bublik 6-4 6-3.
He joined countryman Matthew Ebden in the second round after he upset American seventh seed Sam Querrey 6-3 1-6 7-6 (7-5).
Other first-round winners were Juan Martin Del Potro, Diego Schwartzman, Hyeon Chung, Denis Shapovalov, Adrian Mannarino and Ernesto Escobedo.
Nadal hasn't competed in five weeks.
He withdrew from the Paris Masters quarter-finals and the ATP World Tour Finals in November before skipping the Brisbane International due to injury.
The 10-time French Open winner appeared finely tuned at the Australian Open until he retired early in the fifth set of his quarter-final against Croatia's Marin Cilic.
A finalist in Acapulco last year, Nadal was hoping to go one better and close the gap on world No.1 Roger Federer.
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