Australia's number one Sam Stosur has been forced to withdraw from next month's Australian Open having failed to recover from illness, Tennis Australia have confirmed.

The world number 46, who reached the fourth round at Melbourne Park in 2006, was struck down with Lyme disease in July which disrupted her US hardcourt season.

But shortly after being dismissed by rising French star Alize Cornet in the opening round of the US Open Stosur discovered she had also contracted viral meningitis.

"I was flying from New York to Tampa and that's when I started to get a headache," Stosur said from the Gold Coast last week. "I put up with it all night and then by six o'clock the next morning I couldn't handle it any more and I called friends and they took me to hospital.

"They worked out within 24 hours it was viral meningitis but it took another four weeks to find out there was another underlying factor why this was happening.

"The doctors say as long as I'm careful not to push myself too hard and do a controlled rehab program the physios have set out for me, I should be fine with no-long term effects."

But Stosur, who reached the final of the women's doubles at the 2006 Australian Open before going on to lift the French Open trophy that year both with Lisa Raymond, has since decided that she will definitely not be fit enough to compete during the Australian summer.

"I am very disappointed I won't be able to compete during the Australian summer," said the 23-year-old, who was also scheduled to play in a warm-up tournament on the Gold Coast.

"I have been back in training for the last three weeks but I've realised that I won't be fully ready to compete at the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts, which starts in six days, and I've also withdrawn from the Australian Open.

"I always love competing at home in Australia and have had some of my best results here, which makes the decision not to play especially hard. But I need to concentrate on the long-term goal of getting my health and fitness 100 percent again so I don't want to start competing again until I'm fully ready."

The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, runs from January 14-27.

Pippa Davis / Eurosport