From a hijab-wearing rookie to an 81-year-old lifestyle icon, the past decade of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit covers has produced some of the most talked-about trending bikini moments in pop culture, and here’s the standout from every year between 2017 and 2026.
As reported by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, the annual issue has become one of the most closely watched fashion events of the year, regularly breaking headlines long before the magazine even hits newsstands.
2017: Kate Upton ties the record
Kate Upton landed her third Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover in 2017, tying a record at the time and cementing her status as one of the franchise’s most bankable faces.
The issue also made history by featuring Christie Brinkley alongside her two daughters, a first for the magazine.
2018: Danielle Herrington makes history
Danielle Herrington became the third African-American woman to land a solo Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, following Tyra Banks in 1997 and Beyoncé in 2007.
Herrington had only debuted as a rookie the year before, making her rapid rise to the cover one of 2018’s biggest talking points.
2019: Halima Aden’s burkini breaks the internet
Somali-American model Halima Aden became the first woman to pose in a hijab and burkini for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, sparking a global conversation about beauty standards and representation.
Born in a Kenyan refugee camp, Aden shot her spread on Watamu Beach, back in the country of her birth.
2020: Three covers, one groundbreaking issue
Kate Bock, Olivia Culpo and Jasmine Sanders shared the spotlight on 2020’s cover, a first for the magazine.
The trio was photographed in Bali just months before the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the world, giving the shoot an unexpected poignancy once it finally hit newsstands.
2021: Megan Thee Stallion’s “Hot Girl Summer” cover
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion posed in a tan two-piece bikini for her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, sharing the spotlight with tennis star Naomi Osaka and transgender model Leyna Bloom.
The trio’s covers were widely celebrated as one of the most culturally significant lineups in the issue’s history.
2022: Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS-fuelled debut
Kim Kardashian’s first-ever Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover landed the same year her SKIMS shapewear brand was dominating headlines, making it one of the decade’s most talked-about trending bikini moments. She shared the 2022 covers with Ciara, Maye Musk and Yumi Nu.
2023: Martha Stewart, 81, becomes the oldest cover model ever
Martha Stewart broke the internet at 81 years old, becoming the oldest woman ever to grace a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover. Stewart said the milestone felt “historic,” and the reveal on television made headlines around the world within hours.
2024: A 60th anniversary celebration
Chrissy Teigen, Kate Upton, Gayle King and Hunter McGrady fronted four separate covers to mark Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s 60th anniversary, alongside a special “Legends” shoot bringing back decades of alumni, from Tyra Banks to Martha Stewart herself.
2025: Salma Hayek Pinault joins the cover class
Oscar-nominated actress Salma Hayek Pinault made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut in 2025, sharing covers with gymnasts Olivia Dunne and Jordan Chiles and model Lauren Chan.
Hayek Pinault described the shoot as “kind of spiritual,” and it became one of the year’s most-viewed model galleries.
2026: Hilary Duff’s Disney-to-swimsuit moment
Rounding out the decade, former Disney Channel star Hilary Duff landed a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover in 2026 alongside
A decade of trending bikini moments in one place
It’s not just the big magazine covers that keep fans talking about swimwear each year.
Our earlier coverage of Jennifer Lopez’s Spain getaway shows the same appetite for a good bikini story extends well beyond the pages of Sports Illustrated.