Australia’s No.1 men’s tennis player Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from next week’s Davis Cup tie in the Czech Republic.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.