The 2026 edition of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit has officially arrived — and this year’s cover stars are bringing glamour, honesty, humor, and serious main-character energy along with them.
The iconic annual issue revealed four separate covers this year, featuring Hilary Duff, Alix Earle, Tiffany Haddish, and Nicole Williams English. Each star was photographed in a dramatically different location around the world, giving the issue a globe-spanning feel that matches the individuality of its featured women.
According to editor-in-chief MJ Day, this year’s issue was designed to push the franchise even further.
“Every year we ask ourselves how we push further, how we find the women, the locations and the stories that make people stop and feel something. The 2026 issue is our answer. This class is extraordinary,” Day said in a statement.
Hilary Duff was photographed in the stunning beaches of South Caicos, while Alix Earle’s shoot took place in Botswana. Tiffany Haddish headed to Loreto in Baja California Sur, Mexico, and Nicole Williams English posed in Montauk, New York.
For Hilary, the shoot represented something deeper than simply posing for photos. The actress and singer opened up about how her relationship with her body has changed over time, particularly after years spent in the public eye.
“I can look at my body now and appreciate all the things it has done for me. I no longer find that I am constantly comparing myself—and that is a better place to exist.”
The statement feels especially meaningful coming from Hilary, who essentially grew up in front of audiences after becoming a teen icon through Disney Channel and later navigating intense tabloid scrutiny throughout the 2000s. Her SI Swim appearance feels less like a reinvention and more like a celebration of confidence earned over time.
Meanwhile, influencer and podcast star Alix Earle leaned into the authenticity that helped make her one of social media’s biggest breakout names. Speaking about the issue, she explained why she believes honesty resonates more than perfection online.
“I often feel like I am a big sister to my audience. I’m being honest and hopefully showing that it is O.K. to embrace exactly who you are … And that’s exactly what SI Swim does. It’s not about presenting this perfect picture. It celebrates women, not because they are flawless, but because they are fully themselves—the good, the bad, everything.”
Tiffany Haddish, unsurprisingly, brought humor to the experience while still embracing the significance of the moment. Her candid reaction to wearing the issue’s tiny swimsuits instantly became one of the standout quotes from the rollout.
“The first thing I thought was, I have to make sure my cuckoo doesn’t come out. Those bathing suits were itty bitty and I just was thinking, My booty is going to eat this up. I wanted to keep it classy.”
And then there’s Nicole Williams English, whose cover marks a full-circle moment after years of pursuing the opportunity. The model reflected on the sacrifices, hustle, and persistence it took to finally land one of the magazine’s coveted covers.
“For me, this is about more than being in a magazine. I look back at my journey and I gave up time away from my family, I did schoolwork in hotel rooms, I worked nonstop. I believed in myself. I bet on myself—and that dream became a reality.”
Together, the four women represent very different career paths and public personas, but the issue ties them together through themes of self-assurance, resilience, and visibility on their own terms.
The 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue hits select newsstands on May 14 before its nationwide release on May 26.
