Sports Illustrated Swimsuit dropped its 2026 issue this month, and it lands nationally on May 26. Four cover models were selected — influencer Alix Earle, actress and singer Hilary Duff, model Nicole Williams English and comedian Tiffany Haddish — and the editorial direction is clearly about much more than swimwear.
The issue features 34 women total, spanning entertainment, sport, fashion, social media and beyond. Among those appearing in the pages: Olympic athletes, WNBA champions Napheesa Collier and Sophie Cunningham, and creator and model Olivia Dunne, among others.
Each cover was shot in a distinct global location. Alix Earle was photographed in Botswana’s Okavango Delta; Hilary Duff in South Caicos; Nicole Williams English in Montauk, New York; and Tiffany Haddish in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The spreads are visually striking, and each model brings a very different energy to the brand.
At 46, Haddish shared on the TODAY show that the moment was deeply personal — her grandmother was a swimsuit model and one of the first Black women to appear on television modelling clothing. Duff, 38, is riding a wave of renewed relevance after releasing her first studio album in over a decade in February. Earle, who built her following through raw, relatable TikTok content, represents the shift toward digital creators occupying cover-worthy real estate in legacy print media. Williams English has appeared in every annual SI Swimsuit issue for several consecutive years.
SI Swimsuit’s editorial director described the quartet as embodying relevance, resilience and range — and said the issue is a deliberate rejection of sameness.
