Watch: Daria Kasatkina's figure skater partner Natalia Zabiiako tries her hands at tennis

World No. 8 Daria Kasatkina's partner Natalia Zabiiako, a figure skater by profession, recently tried her luck at tennis and posted a short clip on social media.

Kasatkina came out as gay in July 2022 and revealed that she has been dating Zabiiako, a Bronze medal winner at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships. Since the public announcement of their relationship, the couple have frequently shared pictures together, including on Valentine's Day.

Zabiiako, 28, shared a short video on social media where she is seen hitting a few forehands.

"Second time. It’s better already," Zabiiako captioned her socia media post.

Ahead of the season's first Grand Slam, the 2023 Australian Open, Kasatkina reflected on her personal life and how coming out as gay was a bold decision for her. She also said that she was thankful for the response she received from other players.

"This topic is very sensitive, so I was ready for some negative reaction, but there was nothing like that," she said, "I’m very thankful because that makes me feel so good. Some of the players were coming to me, sometimes they’re still coming to me, to say ‘yeah, it’s cool’ or ‘congrats’ to me. That’s nice," she said.

"I remember after saying all these things, I just felt much better. That was one of the best decisions of the last year and I’m happy with the outcome," Kasatkina added.

Daria Kasatkina's 2023 season so far

Daria Kasatkina in action

Daria Kasatkina kicked off her 2023 season with a first-round loss at the Adelaide International 1. The Russian lost to Czech tennis player Linda Noskova, 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3.

In her second tournament of the season, Kasatkina reached the final of the Adelaide International 2. Seeded fifth in the tournament, Kasatkina beat Petra Kvitova en route to the summit clash. Up against Belinda Bencic, the 25-year-old lost, 6-0, 6-2.

At the Australian Open, Kasatkina faced defeat at the hands of her compatriot Varvera Gracheva in the opening round of the Major. At the Abu Dhabi Open, she lost in the quarterfinals to Qinwen Zheng, 6-1, 6-2. Continuing her time in the Middle East, Daria Kasatkina lost to Beatriz Haddad Maia in the Round of 16 of the Qatar Open.