Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes Are the Ultimate Power Couple in Stunning New ‘GQ Sports’ Pics

The athletes posed in designer fashion for an exciting new feature titled ‘Why the Algorithm Loves Gen Z’s ‘It Couple.’’

Paul Skenes and Olivia Dunne / Matt Dirksen/Getty Images

Call it a Gen Z takeover—Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes are rewriting the rules of what a modern athlete couple looks like. Their brand new GQ Sports spread, titled “Why the Algorithm Loves Gen Z’s ‘It Couple,’” highlights the pair’s meteoric rise from LSU standouts to national icons, while offering a rare, unfiltered look into their dynamic off the field and mat.

Shot in Baton Rouge and styled in bold, high-fashion looks, the NCAA gymnast stuns in everything from her signature sparkly purple leotard and a tenniscore mini to a Louis Vuitton swimsuit and a winter-ready Todd Snyder coat. Skenes complements her in turtlenecks, tracksuits and his Pittsburgh Pirates jersey. The sleek shoot captures the duality of their relationship—fierce and focused, yet lighthearted and deeply connected, still just a couple of young adults in love.

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“Whenever we come back to Louisiana, it’s like the first time we met,” Dunne said of returning to where their relationship began while the pair were students at LSU. Both 22, they first connected through mutual friends and went on a now-famous first date for ice cream. “Our first and second date, I was like, Oh, I really like him,” she recalled. “I started scheduling hair appointments I didn’t really need just to fly back to Baton Rouge to see him.” The couple was first romantically linked in June 2023, when Dunne wore Skenes’s jersey while cheering him on at the College World Series, instantly sparking dating rumors across social media.

They’re opposites in all the right ways—he’s reserved and focused, while she’s warm, expressive and deeply in tune with the digital world. “You’re very analytical,” Dunne, who’s from New Jersey, teased. “And I feel like it would be fun to see your creative juices flow.”

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It’s clear the two keep each other grounded, even as their platforms and public profiles continue to soar. Dunne, with over 13 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, is no stranger to the spotlight—and she’s learned to navigate it with both grace and grit. Skenes, who grew up in California, is more private by nature, choosing to stay offline and keep his priorities firmly on the game.

“He doesn’t care about what anyone thinks of him,” Dunne says. “He knows what he’s doing is right. He’s not online.” Skenes, fresh off a Rookie of the Year title and already one of baseball’s most talked-about rising stars, outsources his Instagram to “an expert”—Dunne herself.

The gymnast and content creator, who has starred in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit for three consecutive years—debuting in Puerto Rico in 2023, then Portugal in 2024 and now Bermuda for the upcoming 2025 issue—has become a role model for young female athletes in the NIL space and is dedicated to giving back through her Livvy Fund. Skenes, a generational pitching talent, is coming off a standout rookie season and looking to lead the Pirates into playoff contention.

Together, they’ve created a blueprint for what a modern athlete couple can look like: stylish, driven, supportive—and completely in sync.