2024 SI Swimsuit Cover Model Kate Upton Says Being in Her 30s Is the ‘Best Thing Ever’

The supermodel, who graces the front of this year’s issue, discusses a decade of change.

Kate Upton was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

When people think of SI Swimsuit, one of the first names that comes to mind is likely Kate Upton. She burst onto the scene in 2011, landing her first cover just a year later, after traveling to Australia with Walter Iooss Jr. Upton became an instant sensation, and scored another cover in Antarctica in ’13, but she wasn’t done yet. The 31-year-old graced the front of the SI Swimsuit Issue once more in 2017. Over the past decade in particular, the franchise and Upton have evolved in parallel, learning, growing and being true trailblazers in the industry together.

Today, Upton lands her fourth SI Swimsuit Issue cover, an extra special moment as the publication celebrates its 60th anniversary. Upton traveled to Mexico with photographer Yu Tsai for the occasion, where she rocked a variety of unique swimsuits and proved her supermodel status along with her “anything for the shot” mentality.

View Kate Upton’s 2024 SI Swimsuit gallery here.

Kate Upton was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

“When I look back [at] my first cover in 2012, I was 19-years-old. And now I’m 31 and shooting [for] the 60th anniversary [issue] and so much in my life has changed,” the Michigan native shares. “Personally, I have a daughter, I have a great husband and a really full life, not just my career.”

Upton, who has now posed for the brand a total of seven separate years, shares her 5-year-old daughter, Genevieve, with her husband, MLB player Justin Verlander. The two got married in 2017, the same year she landed her third SI Swimsuit cover in Fiji. 

The progression of the modeling industry

Upton’s first cover was met with an unexpected amount of criticism over her curvy body type—something that went against the industry norm at the time. It seemed absurd that such a stunning woman, and such a beautiful cover photo, was being questioned. As a result the SI Swimsuit brand began to reevaluate who should be featured on the cover of such a prestigious and widely-consumed magazine—and what kind of story each issue should tell.

“Looking [at] how the industry has changed since my first year to now is a really exciting conversation because so many things that I struggled with, people are shocked to hear I struggled with, which is such a sign of where the world is now—how inclusive everyone is, how offended people are when people say rude things about your body,” Upton says. “That should have always been, but now that’s the norm and it’s really exciting to be with the brand that promotes that.”

Upton persevered, and rarely let the outside voices of small-minded people get to her—it’s something she takes pride in today. And it felt fitting to have her back for the 60th anniversary.

“It feels pretty special being a cover model at 19 for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and then again at 31 especially [because] everyone is like when you start off modeling, your career is over at 23,” she adds. “In my career, what I’m most proud of would be just taking care of myself and taking care of my mental health. It was a lot to take on at a young age. I built such authentic friends and had my family and leaned on them. [I] became ultimately way more comfortable in my skin than I ever [thought I] would be.”

Kate Upton was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. Swimsuit by Moncler. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Her SI Swimsuit experience

Upton is open about the fact that she, too, has good and bad days when it comes to body image. She hopes that her 2024 feature is a reminder that that is O.K. and it’s beautiful to be different.

“What I hope people take away from my interview and my photos is finding an appreciation in themselves, and finding their own uniqueness and giving themselves a break, you know, allowing that ride of body image; sometimes you have lows, sometimes you have highs,” she explains. “You don’t need to tear yourself down every single time you feel not your best. You can just focus back on your body, listen and try to get to a better place and really just accept your differences.”

Upton adds that posing in a bikini, even for someone who has been doing it for more than a decade, is never easy. But, the energy, love and good vibes on an SI Swimsuit photo shoot are unmatched, and make everything a little bit better.

“My favorite memory associated with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is the people at the magazine. It’s MJ [Day, editor in chief], it’s [photographer] Yu Tsai, who build this positive set. That’s why we are able to push these boundaries,” she says. “That’s why we’re laughing all day. That’s why everyone is feeling so loved and comfortable on set. Shooting bikinis is not comfortable, no one is comfortable, but [the] energy and love and the set that [SI Swimsuit] built makes it comfortable.”

In addition to her individual cover girl moment, Upton also joined 26 other SI Swimsuit legends like Christie Brinkley and Tyra Banks for a 60th anniversary legends photo shoot in Hollywood, Fla.

Being in her 30s

The Vosa Spirits co-owner is thriving in her 30s. She describes this decade as the “best thing ever.” Not only does she have a family that she loves so much, she’s also found a sense of security and comfort in her body and in herself that was difficult to achieve in her 20s.

“I would never go back to being in my 20s,” Upton says. “[I now have] such a sense of power and confidence and understanding of the world. Also just not giving a f--- about what anyone else says. It feels better than ever.”

While she has dabbled in acting (including roles in The Other Woman and The Layover) she’s taking on a new role as a reality series host, and is set to lead Hulu’s new Dress My Tour fashion competition show. Upton is also reveling in her role as a mother.

Upton and Verlander welcomed their daughter in November 2018, and the model says she’s been loving watching her little girl grow up and form her own opinions and even a sense of personal style. Being a mom has transformed her life in its entirety.

“Becoming a mom changes everything about you. It expands your ability to love and have emotions in a way I never thought to be possible. I always joked that I was the Grinch because my heart grew two sizes bigger [after having a child],” she gushes. “My biggest hope and dream for [Genevieve] is that she knows how amazing she is and she knows her worth and the [value] in being herself and uniquely her. [I hope she knows] how much her voice matters and to speak up and use it and how strong she is.”