Ailing Andy Murray played Davis Cup for fear of having patriotism questioned

Andy Murray played a Davis Cup tie after the U.S. Open. (Julian Finney/Getty Images) Andy Murray says he delayed his back surgery so he could play Davis Cup

Andy Murray played a Davis Cup tie after the U.S. Open. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Andy Murray says he delayed his back surgery so he could play Davis Cup out of fear his patriotism would be criticized.

Murray says he decided before Wimbledon to have surgery on his ailing back after the U.S. Open. But one week after a quarterfinal loss in New York, Murray helped Great Britain beat Croatia to secure a spot in the World Group next year.

The fourth-ranked Murray described his back as "getting worse and worse" when he transitioned to hard courts after winning Wimbledon.

“[I] was going to have [surgery] after the U.S. Open but then, obviously, if I didn’t play Davis Cup it was because I’m not patriotic enough," he said during a promotional event in London, according to The Telegraph. "But when I started playing it was just so tiring. I was having treatment one night at like 11:30 p.m. and I was like, 'This is all day I’m having to deal with this and I don’t want to have to deal with it any more.' And that was it.”

Murray also said his back problems have hampered his game over the years, preventing him from hitting certain shots.