Stars have a blast in Beijing ahead of the China Open

The China Open in Beijing is the final big joint stop for the ATP and WTA tours in 2018. Though the draws have taken some hits (with Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal pulling out), there are plenty of stars who are ready to roll.

And they're having a blast in the days leading up to the event. It helps that the Premier Mandatory/ATP 500 is in full swing with off-court activities.

Alexander Zverev tried his hand at tai chi, a martial arts practiced for both defense training and health benefits.

Sam Stosur swapped her racquet for a paintbrush to show off her artistic side.

Top seed Simona Halep got right to work, ignoring the fact that the courts weren't quite ready for play.

Halep is putting her early loss in Wuhan to Dominika Cibulkova behind her. She feels only good vibes in Beijing thanks to the city being tied to one of her greatest career achievements.

Halep returns as the world No. 1, one year after first claiming the top spot.

There's a chopstick challenge set up for the players to compete in, with US Open champion Naomi Osaka up first.

The Japanese star will be getting a ton of fan love this week. Fans in Beijing don't just cheer on their favorites and ask for autographs and selfies, they greet players at the ariport.

And give them gifts like stuffed animals...

Or even marriage proposals.

Main draw play begins on Saturday.