The ATP has announced today that World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has qualified for the year-end finals held in London. Djokovic joins Rafael Nadal as the only two players thus far who have locked in positions for the 8-man round-robin event beginning on November 4.

“[Being defending champion] adds a little bit of extra expectation and pressure,” said Djokovic who beat Roger Federer in the 2012 final. “Knowing that I can play that well on the centre stage gives me enough reason to believe that I can do it again. That is something that inspires me to prepare well and perform my best.”

Djokovic also beat Nikolay Davydenko to win the tournament in 2008, the last year it was held in Shanghai. He has now qualified for the event seven straight years.

The Serb is currently ranked No. 1 but has only one title (Monte Carlo) since his early March triumph in Dubai.