Tennis news - Johanna Konta pulls out of WTA Adelaide - is she a genuine doubt for Australian Open?

The 28-year-old has struggled for fitness for an extended period due to the knee issue and it has been confirmed that she will not participate in Adelaide.

Konta lost a three-set match to Barbara Strycova in the opening round of the Brisbane International on Monday and has not recovered sufficiently to continue her preparations for the Australian Open.

The world number 12's encounter with Strycova was her first match since the US Open way back in September.

It will now be the case that her defeat in Brisbane will be the only match she has been able to complete in between the final Grand Slam of 2019 and the first of 2020.

The Australian Open gets underway on January 20.

Konta has to be considered a doubt for Melbourne Park given her lack of form and fitness heading into the opening Slam of the year. However, the reality is that she has been managing this knee condition for a good part of the last year.

While her withdrawal from WTA Adelaide next week has been labelled simply as a "precautionary" measure, according to the BBC, it clearly does not bode well for her prospects in Melbourne given the intense heat and demanding conditions it demands and her lack of matches since September.

Konta will now head to Melbourne to spend time on the practice courts in preparation for the main draw, which begins on January 20. How her workouts go in the next week will be crucial. Fans of British tennis will be desperate for Konta to regain fitness, particularly given Andy Murray has already had to withdraw.