Khachanov celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival by making moon cakes

Karen Khachanov has a big task ahead of him in Rafael Nadal at the China Open, but first, he tackled moon cakes. Helping celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as the Moon Festival) in Beijing, the 21-year-old put on an apron and got to work.

“It’s my weakness,” Khachanov said about the chocolate he added to the traditional recipe. “I feel like a chef.”

The world No. 42 assisted chefs in preparing ingredients and adding the mixture to the molds. He even learned a little Mandarin along the way.

Khachanov will look to book a spot in the quarterfinals when he takes on world No. 1 Nadal on Thursday. They've faced off just once before, at Wimbledon earlier this year, with Nadal winning in straight sets.