All of the Tennis Players Who’ve Appeared on the Pages of SI Swimsuit

Over the last few weeks, the 2026 U.S. Open has taken over our social media feeds with highlights of the fabulous courtside fashion, A-list celebrity sightings and unforgettable moments on the court. Marking one of the year’s biggest tennis events, the tournament began back on Sunday, Aug. 30, and will conclude with the finals this weekend on Sunday, Sept. 13.

Inviting the most impactful athletes in tennis to compete for an impressive prize, the 2026 U.S. Open has definitely been one for the books, with comeback stories and action galore. So, to celebrate the annual occasion, we’re looking back at the many talented tennis stars who’ve appeared in SI Swimsuit over the years.

Naomi Osaka

Osaka is the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam tournament and the first Asian player to hold the No. 1 singles ranking with seven singles titles so far. She returned to the court at the 2026 U.S. Open before ultimately exiting on Monday, Sept. 7, after the fourth round.

She made her debut with SI Swimsuit in 2021, posing in sleek designer pieces for photographer Yu Tsai in Malibu, Calif., and becoming the first Black female athlete to appear on the front page of the annual issue that year alongside Megan Thee Stallion and Leyna Bloom.

Ana Ivanovic

Ivanovic is another top talent in the sport, earning 15 WTA singles titles and one Grand Slam championship. Before her retirement in 2016, she represented Serbia twice at the Olympics, first at the 2012 London Games and then at the 2016 Rio Games. She has continued to make an impact off the court as a UNICEF National Ambassador.

She embraced full tennis Barbie vibes for her SI Swimsuit debut back in 2010, with a pretty pink feature in New York by photographer Marlena Bielinska.

Maria Kirilenko, Daniela Hantuchova and Tatiana Golovin

Appearing in SI Swimsuit as a trio, Kirilenko won six WTA singles titles and 12 doubles titles throughout her career, and Hantuchova achieved her career-high singles ranking of No. 5 in the world in 2003. Meanwhile, Golovin won the 2004 French Open mixed doubles event alongside Richard Gasquet.

Featured in the 2009 SI Swimsuit Issue, Kirilenko, Hantuchova and Golovin were photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in Capo Cana, Dominican Republic.

Serena Williams

With 23 Grand Slam singles titles, four Olympic gold medals and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her older sister, Williams’s status as a tennis icon is undeniable. The athlete took a hiatus from the sport in 2022 before making headlines earlier this year when she announced her return to the court with her sister. The two competed in doubles during the 2026 U.S. Open, though the star recently confirmed her return is “nothing long-term.”

A member of the SI Swimsuit family, Williams made her debut in Miami in 2003, returning the following year for Round 2 in the Sunshine State. She then reunited with the magazine 13 years later, in 2017, for her most recent feature in Turks and Caicos with photographer Walter Iooss Jr.

Venus Williams

Serena’s older sister and doubles partner, Williams shares 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her younger sister on her illustrious résumé. She has also earned five Olympic medals (four gold, one silver), seven singles titles and two mixed doubles titles during her own storied career.

Williams made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2005, when she was photographed by Paul Lange in Miami modeling a modern array of metallic swimsuits.

Maria Sharapova

Sharapova is a five-time Grand Slam champion, taking home 36 WTA singles titles during her time on the court. In 2025, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame for her many accolades after she retired from professional competition in 2022.

The athlete first joined SI Swimsuit in 2006, when she strutted her stuff on the beaches of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, for photographer Walter Iooss Jr. at Grace Bay Club.

Sloane Stephens

Stephens took home the top prize at the 2017 U.S. Open, earning eight WTA singles titles and one Grand Slam win during her career (so far). She returned to the court this year after sustaining a serious foot injury in 2025 that had her sidelined for much of last season.

Photographed by James Macari in 2018 for her SI Swimsuit debut, the player’s sleek styling and fearless approach made for many memorable moments in Aruba.

Anna Kournikova

Kournikova won two Grand Slam doubles titles during her career before retiring from professional competition in 2003 due to injuries. Still, the athlete has made an unforgettable mark on the sports world, becoming one of the most recognizable faces on the court.

Kournikova went on to become a prolific model, posing for the covers of major magazines like Maxim, Women’s Health, Forbes and Cosmopolitan. She appeared in SI Swimsuit for the first time in 2004, traveling to sunny Puerto Rico for a radiant rookie shoot with photographer Tiziano Magni.

Steffi Graf

Graff won 22 Grand Slam singles titles and a gold medal during her tennis career before her retirement in 1999. She’s also one of only 13 players who’ve won the Golden Slam, which the Olympics define as players who have “won each of the four Grand Slam titles—Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open—as well as an Olympic gold medal.”

Graf added “SI Swimsuit model” to her list of accomplishments in 1999, traveling to the shores of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with the magazine and photographer Walter Iooss Jr.

Rafael Nadal (alongside Bar Refaeli)

Bar Refaeli and Rafael Nadal were photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in Montreal, Canada. Swimsuit by Oye Swimwear. | Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Another tennis legend, Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles and two Olympic gold medals. The athlete retired from competition in 2024 after the Davis Cup finals, celebrating an impressive, decorated 23-year career.

In 2012, he joined SI Swimsuit for a special shoot cheekily titled “Bar & The Boys,” where he posed alongside SI Swimsuit legend Bar Refaeli. The two modeled striking styles for photographer Walter Iooss Jr. in Montreal, Canada, with fellow athletes Michael Phelps and Chris Paul also featured.

Caroline Wozniacki

Wozniacki has 30 WTA Tour singles titles on her remarkable résumé. She made history at the 2018 Australian Open, becoming the first Danish player to win a Grand Slam singles title. She’s also a four-time Olympian and a tennis analyst for ESPN.

The athlete has posed for SI Swimsuit three times, debuting in 2015 with a breathtaking beachside shoot on Captiva Island, Fla. She then reunited with the magazine two more times, with a 2016 feature in Petit Saint Vincent and, most recently, a 2017 shoot in Turks and Caicos.

Genie Bouchard

Finally, Bouchard made history in 2014 as the first Canadian player to earn a spot in the Grand Slam singles finals. Over a decade later, the athlete remains celebrated for her 16-year-long career on the court. Recently, she pivoted to professional pickleball, where she plays for the Pro Pickleball Association.

Bouchard joined the SI Swimsuit family in 2017 with a terrific Turks and Caicos feature, returning for her sophomore stint in 2018. In sunny Aruba, she was photographed by James Macari in a sleek and stylish monochromatic wardrobe.