New name, same old story for Jarmila Wolfe as the luckless local suffered yet more Australian Open heartbreak at Melbourne Park.

Wolfe, who only broke her eight-year first-round duck last year, was forced to retire from her 2016 opener on Tuesday with a back injury.

The 28-year-old was trailing Latvian qualifier Anastasija Sevastova 6-0 4-2.

Wolfe has competed under her maiden name Gajdosova and Groth, when married to men’s player Sam, before wedding a second time last November to US marine Adam Wolfe.

After copping a long line of tough round-one draws, including facing six-time champion Serena Williams twice, it seemed Wolfe had finally caught a break.

But her first round came unstuck during her pre-match warm-up when the former world No.25 injured her back.

Wolfe said she had two last serves before wrapping up the session when she suffered the injury.

“I was fine and then in my last two serves something went through my back like a shooting pain,” the world 122 said.

“I saw the doctors and they tried to treat me in the hour before the match and give me anti-inflammatories and taped it.

“But it got to the point where it actually hurt for me to move just running toward the ball let alone hitting or serving.”

Wolfe said she was serving at only 120km/h, which she hadn’t done since she was 13.

She has had a challenging few years with divorce, losing her mother to cancer and battling a debilitating energy-zapping condition similar to glandular fever.

Wolfe felt 2016 was a fresh start and had been happy with her form in the Hopman Cup teamed with Lleyton Hewitt.

She hoped she could make a quick recovery to play her women’s doubles with her good friend Daniela Hantuchova.

“I’ve felt great in practices and played very well at the Hopman Cup,” Wolfe said.

“I was looking forward to it and I was excited and when it happened it brought me to tears.”