SI Swim Legend Kate Upton Stuns in These 7 Photos From the Philippines

The model has a very extensive and special relationship with the brand.

Martha Zaytoun | Sep 10, 2023

Kate Upton was photographed by Raphael Mazzucco in the Philippines.

Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

Kate Upton is a familiar face in the pages of SI Swimsuit. The model has made appearances in six different annual issues, with photoshoots ranging from a zero gravity experience to a cover in Antarctica. She began her journey with the brand in 2011, posing for photos on the beautiful sand beaches in the Philippines.

The now 31-year-old was just 19 when she first posed for the magazine in the Southeast Asian country, earning Rookie of the Year honors for the fabulous photos. Even then, it was a dream come true for the model. During her SI Swimsuit Legends feature in 2014, she took the chance to reflect on that first experience and those following.

“Sports Illustrated ... was a dream of mine,” she said in New York City. “When I was able to get into the magazine, it was a really special moment.”

Though she had appeared in three consecutive SI Swimsuit magazines by the time of the Legends feature—including covers in both 2012 and 2013—she still felt a connection to her debut, which fulfilled a dream and launched her on an incredible journey with the magazine.

Following the Philippines feature and Rookie of the Year honors, the model earned two consecutive spots on the cover (and a third in 2017), making her relationship to SI Swimsuit “[mean] even more,” she said.

Though she expressed gratitude for everything she had been able to do with the brand, she wasn’t forgetting her beginnings—and neither have we. Below are seven of our favorite photos from her debut in the Philippines.

kate3 — Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

kate5 — Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

kate2 — Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

kate7 — Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

kate4 — Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

kate6 — Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

kate1 — Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

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Published Sep 10, 2023

MARTHA ZAYTOUN

Martha Zaytoun is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2023, she worked on the editorial board of the University of Notre Dame’s student magazine and on the editorial team at Chapel Hill, Durham and Chatham Magazines in North Carolina. When not working, Zaytoun loves to watercolor and oil paint, run and water ski. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a huge Fighting Irish fan.