One Year Ago: Looking Back on the Stunning 2024 SI Swimsuit Cover Models

Gayle King, Chrissy Teigen, Hunter McGrady and Kate Upton all graced their own covers for the 60th Anniversary issue.

Chrissy Teigen was photographed by Yu Tsai in Los Angeles. Swimsuit by Yves Saint Laurent. Earrings by Jacquie Aiche. Necklace by Jacquie Aiche. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Four SI Swimsuit Legends scored cover spots for the brand’s 60th Anniversary issue back in 2024, and who better to introduce the group of cover models than MJ Day—SI Swimsuit’s editor in chief—via her Editor’s Letter?

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“There’s Kate Upton, whose first cover served as a catalyst for the evolution of the brand. There’s Chrissy Teigen, who represents the new generation of model moguls,” Day wrote. “There’s also Hunter McGrady, whose power and advocacy continue to inspire. And there’s Gayle King, a first-timer who, like her co-cover models, not so gently reminds us that women are limitless and control their destinies.”

Check out these eight stunning snapshots of the cover models, who all earned SI Swimsuit Legend status with the brand during 2024:

Gayle King

Gayle King was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. Swimsuit by Angelys Balek Earrings are from talent’s personal collection Necklace by Alexis Bittar. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

A co-host for CBS Mornings, King made her SI Swimsuit debut in Mexico and traveled to Hollywood, Fla., for a secondary appearance with the brand for the 60th Anniversary Legends shoot.

Gayle King was photographed by Yu Tsai in Legends - Hollywood-FL. Dress by GAURAV GUPTA. Shoes by: Manolo Blahnik. Jewelry by: Charlie Lapson and Sterling Forever.. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

“I think it’s important to celebrate women of all ages, all colors, all sizes, you know why? Because that’s who we are,” King said of the feature.

Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigen was photographed by Yu Tsai in Los Angeles. Swimsuit by ALAÏA. Earrings by Cult Gaia. Bangles by Yves Saint Laurent / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Teigen received her first cover spot in 2014 in a Cook Islands shoot for the brand’s 50th Anniversary issue. A decade later, the 10-time model returned to the fold following a seven-year hiatus, shooting in Mexico and Hollywood, Fla.

Chrissy Teigen was photographed by Yu Tsai in Legends Hollywood, Fla. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

“It feels like I’ve lived 800 different lifetimes since the first shoot we did,” Teigen reflected. “I love that all the pictures and everything we’ve done throughout the years [are] like chapters in a book.”

Hunter McGrady

Hunter McGrady was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. Swimsuit by Skims. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

McGrady joined SI Swimsuit in 2017 and shot with the brand four more times before her cover shoot in Mexico. The model then cemented her SI Swimsuit Legend status in Hollywood, Fla., before returning to the fold again this year for the 2025 issue with a chilly Switzerland photo shoot.

Hunter McGrady was photographed by Yu Tsai in Legends - Hollywood-FL. Dress by: TADASHI SHOJI. Shoes by: BRITT NETTA. Jewelry by: Charlie Lapson and Ettika / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

“I’m just proud. I’m proud to be a part of [SI Swimsuit],” McGrady shared. “I’m proud of the imprint that they’ve made on society and they continue to make, and that would genuinely be my all-encompassing word: proud.”

Kate Upton

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

After securing Rookie of the Year honors at only 18 years old, Upton received her first cover spot during her sophomore campaign in 2012. The brand staple earned two more cover appearances in 2013 and 2017 before marking her fourth in Mexico in 2024.

Kate Upton was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Maria Lucia Hohan. Shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti. Jewelry by Charlie Lapson. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

“Looking [at] how the industry has changed since my first year to now is a really exciting conversation,” Upton shared. “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.”

The 2025 SI Swimsuit magazine is available online now and at select newsstands on May 17. Order your copy here.

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