Indian star Saina Nehwal has withdrawn from the Australian Open in Sydney ©Getty Images

Indian star Saina Nehwal has withdrawn from the Badminton World Federation (BVF) Australian Open which starts tomorrow in Sydney.

Nehwal, who won the women's singles gold medal at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, was due to be among the headline names participating at the event.

Michelle Li of Canada, the 2014 Commonwealth Games champion, will replace Nehwal as the top seed in the women's tournament.

The Indian player, the current world number 10, was listed among the original entries and was set to compete for a third Australian Open title.

Nehwal's team-mate and men's top seed Prannoy Kumar has also pulled out from the event.

Sai Praneeth Bhamidipati, also of India, will take the top seeding from Kumar.

Prannoy Kumar, the top seed in the men's tournament, has also pulled out of the event in Sydney ©Getty Images
Prannoy Kumar, the top seed in the men's tournament, has also pulled out of the event in Sydney ©Getty Images

It is thought both have withdrawn in order to rest for the team Thomas and Uber Cup events taking place in Thailand later this month.

The competition at the Quaycentre on the Sydney Olympic Park is part of the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 300 series.

The Australian Open was a Superseries event in the previous classification format with prize money of $750,000 (£553,000/€629,000).

But it has since been reduced to a World Tour Super 300 event, where the prize money stands at $150,000 (£111,000/€126,000).

The event begins with qualification tomorrow and concludes on Sunday (May 13).