Roger Federer reacts to reaching 10,000 aces at Wimbledon

Roger Federer has broken plenty of records in his career, but the 18-time Grand Slam champion still says he's surprised to join the elite in this specific category.

While winning his first-round match at Wimbledon, Federer also became the third ATP player to hit more than 10,000 aces in his career.

Ivo Karlovic holds the record with 12,062 aces, and Goran Ivanisevic is second with 10,131 aces. The ATP began keeping records in 1990, and the figures do not include Davis Cup encounters.

Federer came into the event with 9,994 aces, and hit 10 more in his opener before Alexandr Dolgopolov retired with an injury in the second set.

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"It's an incredible number, but it would be even more meaningful if they had all-time stats," Federer told journalists from Switzerland following his win. "Sure, I'm surprised I've cracked such a number. It is quite cool to be in the company of Karlovic, Ivanisevic."

Federer is not usually seen as one of the biggest-serving players on tour, and it has taken him 1,293 matches to collect his aces. Karlovic and Ivanisevic reached the mark in far fewer matches—618 for Karlovic and 731 for Ivanisevic.

But the world No. 5 has become known for his precision rather than his power, regularly able to place the ball within inches of the lines. That's something he says he concentrates on, along with good technique that allows him to repeat the swing more effortlessly.

"For me, it was always most important to keep variety in my serving, that I can hit the spots precisely," said Federer.

Federer is the No. 3 seed at Wimbledon, two spots higher than his ranking.

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