Rafael Nadal cast doubt on his fitness for the Australian Open by pulling out of the Brisbane International ahead of his first match.

The Spaniard opted not to play his second match at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi last week after tweaking his thigh and is worried about the risk of exacerbating the problem.

Speaking at a press conference, he said: “I did an MRI and it shows a small strain on my left thigh. I tried to play, I wanted to play, but recommendations from the doctors (were otherwise).

“I feel better than I did four days ago. It’s a risk to damage my body for one month if I play here.”