Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week's season-opening ATP Chennai Open in India due to lingering foot problems.
The world's second-ranked player, Nadal has failed to recover from the foot injury he sustained in the Madrid Masters final in October.
His status for the January 16 Australian Open - the first Grand Slam of the season - is uncertain.
Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia, the world's ninth-ranked player, will replace Spaniard Nadal in the 32-player field.
