Dinara Safina is forced to withdraw from the Brisbane International which takes place next month because of a back injury. This was announced Friday, and leaves the former number one in question for participation in the Australian Open. Fans were hoping that Safina would be recovered enough from her injury to participate in the Brisbane event, and begin preparing for the Australian Open, which would have been her first major of the 2010 season. Tournament directory Steve Ayles says Safina will not be playing at Brisbane, which takes place January 3^rd through the 10^th next year.

In an interview to AP Ayles said that Safina was still on the roster for the Sydney event and the Australian Open but that since the Brisbane International came up first, she was not going to be fully recovered in time for her matches there. She is still undergoing treatment for her back injury, according to Ayles, and she was attempting to be ready to play in Brisbane but “time beat her” according to the director. The Sydney tournament plays one week before the Australian Open and will see many of the top ten in the world of women's tennis participating.

The Australian Open will be from Melbourne, and will begin on January 18^th. Safina's back injury came back in October, forcing her to withdraw from the Women's Tennis Association Championships. She had originally supposed that this would keep her out of the Australian Open this year, but then two days later she put her name on the roster for the Brisbane International. She played Jelena Jankovic for thirteen minutes in the WTA Championships but the had to withdraw, losing her number one status that she's earned in 2009 to Serena Williams.