"Love you more than I could imagine" - Daria Kasatkina gushes over girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako, celebrates her birthday during Cincinnati Open

Daria Kasatkina, currently contesting the Cincinnati Open, recently took to social media to wish her girlfriend and figure skater Natalia Zabiiako a happy 29th birthday.

The Russian never misses a chance to express her affection towards Zabiiako. Having made their relationship public last year, the gay couple have slowly strengthened their bond over the months.

On Wednesday, Kasatkina expressed her gratitude towards her girlfriend in a brief yet heartfelt message.

"Happy birthday to my universe, I love you more than I could ever imagine," she wrote, followed by a purple love emoji.

Zabiiako also posted the same photo on her Instagram with the caption "Happiness".

The figure skater also posted a video of how the couple spent her birthday in a serene spot in Ohio during the ongoing Cincinnati Open.

"Birthday in Ohio. No matter where, matters with whom," she wrote.

Kasatkina made waves in the tennis community last year when she came out as gay. Back then, the World No. 13 had opened up about her struggles with homophobia and discrimination in her home country Russia. However, that has not stopped her from living to her heart's desire.

Earlier this month, Zabiiako took to social media to post a "family portrait", where she and her tennis player girlfriend can be seen cuddling with some adorable puppies.

"Mental health hour in Washington DC. «Family portrait »," she wrote

Natalia Zabiiako, meanwhile, is a successful figure skater and has achieved several laurels in international competitions, including a silver medal in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. However, the Russian has been out of action for some time now.

Daria Kasatkina will be looking to redeem herself on-court later this year

Daria Kasatkina waves to her fans at the 2023 Canadian Open

World No. 13 Daria Kasatkina has had mixed fortunes in 2023. The Russian began the year by dropping seven of her first 10 matches, which included a 6-1, 6-1 drubbing at the hands of France's Varvara Gracheva in the first round of the Australian Open.

She reached the semifinals at the 250-level event in Charleston a few months later, though, losing to second seed Ons Jabeur in a closely-contested match. Since then, she has been consistent on the Hologic WTA tour, reaching the Round of 16 in the majority of her outings.

The 2022 French Open semifinalist is yet to taste title victory this year, having lost yet another final at the Rothesay International to USA's Madison Keys. However, she impressed a lot of fans with her quarterfinal run at the Canadian Open last week, where she produced some stunning shotmaking despite losing to the third seed Elena Rybakina.

Daria Kasatkina is currently contesting the Cincinnati Open. She is through to the second round with victory over Peyton Stearns. She will now face Gracheva for a spot in the final 16.