German model and Hollywood star Heidi Klum is undoubtedly the most well-liked and sexiest SI model the world has ever seen. The mentioned star has been a part of SI magazine twice now. Russian model Irina Shayk with 2 appearances, and former American actress Kathy Ireland with 13 appearances, also deserve their mentions among the most well-liked Sports Illustrated swimsuit models of all time.
We immediately picture attractive people posing on a beach for a living once we hear the term Swimsuit models. However, in our apparel industry, many models don’t only work as swimwear models. You might see a lot working as actors, teachers, athletes, and Instagram sensations, with flawless bodies and sizes, which they flaunt in swimwear.
Top 10 Hottest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Models
This article discusses the hottest sports-illustrated swimsuit models of all time. These top models astonish the planet with their attractive beauty. The names of these personalities are Elle Macpherson, Tyra Banks, Brooklyn Decker, Kate Upton, Beyonce Knowles, Cheryl Tiegs, Bar Rafael, Kathy Ireland, Irina Shayk, and Heidi Klum. Let’s discuss them in detail.
| Rank | Name |
| 1 | Heidi Klum |
| 2 | Irina Shayk |
| 3 | Kathy Ireland |
| 4 | Bar Rafael |
| 5 | Cheryl Tiegs |
| 6 | Deyonce Knowles |
| 7 | Kate Upton |
| 8 | Brooklyn Decker |
| 9 | Tyra Banks |
| Beyonce Knowles | Elle Macpherson |
10. Elle Macpherson:
| Sports Illustrated Cover Appearance: 5 Times | |
| Full Name | Eleanor Nancy (née Gow) Macpherson |
| Born | 29th March 1964 |
| Country | Killara, New South Wales, Australia |
Elle Macpherson has acted as a Model, entrepreneur, TV host, and actress Eleanor Nancy Macpherson was born on 29 March 1964. She is understood as “The Body” by Time magazine because she appeared five times on Sports Illustrated swimsuit model covers starting in the 1980s. She also won the title of 1 of the sexiest SI models.
Elle Macpherson is the founder, primary model, and artistic director for a variety of business endeavors, including Elle Macpherson Intimates, a lingerie collection, and therefore the Body, a skincare collection.
9. Tyra Banks:
| Sports Illustrated Cover Appearance: 3 Times | |
| Full Name | Tyra Lynne Banks |
| Born | 4th December 1973 |
| Country | Inglewood, California, us |
Tyra Banks has acted as a TV personality, model, businesswoman, producer, actress, and writer. She is additionally known as Banx. She was a model at the age of 15 and had grown up in Inglewood, California.
Her appearances on the duvet of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models cover Issue, during which she appeared three times, made her the first black woman to be featured in either publication. She received numerous awards and honors at the time as Victoria’s Secret Angel.
8. Brooklyn Decker:
| Sports Illustrated Cover Appearance: 4 Times | |
| Full Name | Brooklyn Danielle Decker |
| Born | 12th April 1987 |
| Country | Kettering, Ohio, us |
Brooklyn Decker is a famous American actress best known for her sensational acting skills. Brooklyn Decker is popular among her fans and peers. She is one of the most notable appearances by the actress in Sports Illustrated swimsuit models.
Brooklyn Decker, SI Swimsuit’s 2010 pin-up, joined the agency in 2006. On top of that, she has appeared in feature films like “Battleship” and “Go with It” and TV shows like Grace and Frankie. One of the hottest SI swimsuit models, Decker enjoyed an extended career at Victoria’s Secret.
7. Kate Upton:
| Sports Illustrated Cover Appearance: 4 Times | |
| Full Name | Katherine Elizabeth Upton |
| Born | 10th June 1992 |
| Country | St. Joseph, Michigan, us |
Kate Upton is a model and actress. She was featured in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2017 SI swimsuit issues and is understood as one of the famous sports-illustrated swimsuit models. the subsequent day, Upton signed with Elite Model Management. IMG Models signed her in New City after she moved there. She used to model clothes for Garage and Dooney & Bourke. the difficulty she faced in the body paint section had named her the issue’s Rookie of the Year.
6. Beyonce Knowles:
| Sports Illustrated Cover Appearance: Once (2007) | |
| Full Name | Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter |
| Born | 4th September 1981 |
| Country | Houston, Texas, us |
A good position in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue is Beyonce Knowles. She was the one non-model or non-athlete who signed the cover and made her spot on the list of sexiest sports illustrated models. Since her infancy, Beyoncé Knowles had dreams of being quite just a performer: she longed to be a superstar. She achieved her goals at the age of 21 years old, and she became famous not only as an actress but also as a singer.
5. Cheryl Tiegs:
| Sports Illustrated Cover Appearance: 2 Times | |
| Full Name | Cheryl Rae Tiegs |
| Born | 25th September 1947 |
| Country | Breckenridge, Minnesota, us |
Cheryl Rae Tiegs is an American model and dressmaker who was born on 25 September 1947. Tiegs is a well-known and beloved supermodel who repeatedly appeared in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Models Issue, TIME, and therefore the Pink Bikini poster in 1978. The following print became an iconic symbol of 1970s popular culture. She became a model when she was 17 after the editorial staff at Glamour saw Cole’s swimsuit ad. That photo shoot received enormous praise because of the cover of Glamour.
4. Bar Rafael:
| Sports Illustrated Cover Appearance: Once (2009) | |
| Full Name | Bar Refaeli |
| Born | 4th June 1985 |
| Country | Hod HaSharon, Israel |
A resident of the Israeli countryside, Bar Refaeli grew abreast of a horse ranch. Rafael was acting as a model at age 11 after recognizing her face was to be her fortune. She appeared in a beauty contest in 2000, and she won the title that year. She was at the front of the Renaud fashion line and was also featured in the French magazine Elle. Sports Illustrated published the primary Israeli model on its pages.
3. Kathy Ireland:
| won 13 consecutive issues during the 1980s and 1990s | |
| Full Name | Kathleen Marie Ireland |
| Born | 20th March 1963 |
| Country | Breckenridge, Minnesota, us |
Kathleen Marie Ireland was born on 20 March 1963. She acts as an American model and actress turned author and entrepreneur. She was one of the hot Sports Illustrated swimsuit models who won 13 consecutive issues during the 1980s and 1990s. Kathy Kerry Ireland founded Kathy Ireland Worldwide (KIWW) in 1993, which has enabled her to become one of the wealthiest former models in the world. By 2015, She received a $420 million fortune from her career as a businesswoman. additionally, her company witnessed staggering sales of quite $2 billion in 2012.
2. Irina Shayk:
| Sports Illustrated Cover Appearance: 2 Times | |
| Full Name | Irina Valeryevna Shaykhlislamova |
| Born | 6th January 1986 |
| Country | Yemanzhelinsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
Irina Shayk was born on 6 January 1986. She was the first Russian model to appear in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue of 2011. Models.com has made her its industry icon. This same year, Shayk debuted in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue, replacing Ana Beatriz Barros because of the face of Intimissimi.
1. Heidi Klum:
| Sports Illustrated Cover Appearance: 2 Times | |
| Full Name | Heidi Klum |
| Born | 1st June 1973 |
| Country | Bergisch Gladbach, West Germany |
She was born in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, on 1 June 1973. Heidi was a member of the cosmetics worker family, where her father Gunther worked. When she saw a billboard for a modeling contest, she was just 18 years old. Her friend persuaded her to use the contract, and Heidi found herself with a contract and a busy schedule for 3 years.
She decided to calm down in the United States after several frequent flyer miles jet-setting between Paris and Milan. Her attractive personality makes Heidi one of the hottest sports-illustrated swimsuit models.
Read Also:- Who Is Brooklyn Decker?