Serena Williams will not be able to defend her Australian Open title due to a long-term foot injury.

Serena has not competed since Wimbledon after cutting her foot on broken glass in a restaurant in July. She was hoping to return to the tour for a tournament in Linz last month followed by the WTA Championships and the Fed Cup final.

However, returning to the practise court too soon re-aggravated the injury and Serena was forced to reluctantly curtail her season.

"As I recently learned, pushing myself back into my intense training too early only caused further injury," Williams said in a statement. "It is imperative for my health that I continue to work with my doctors to ensure my foot heals."

"I am praying for a healthy recovery and I promise my Aussie fans and my fans around the world that I will be back better than ever as soon as I can be.”

Serena won the 2010 Australian Open title with a three set win over Justine Henin. It is a blow for the American as she looks to climb ever higher on the all-time Grand Slam winners list.