She’s marking a new chapter with a new milestone.
On Tuesday, LSU alum Livvy Dunne was announced as one of four Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue 2025 cover stars, gracing the glossy in a teeny-tiny zebra-printed bikini.
Lensed by Ben Watts in Bermuda, the gymnast, 22, showed off her muscles in the dreamy water.
“This bikini … this was the one. I felt like such a baddie in it. This is the best day of my life. This is so exciting,” Dunne gushed when she found out her pic made the cover.
“I feel like I’m just stepping into a new version of myself. This is the most special thing that’s ever happened to me. I want this [cover image] to capture the audience and then they flip the page open and it’s just a badass story inside,” she added. “I am proud to be an SI [Swimsuit] model … I just hope that other athletes feel inspired and hear my story, and fight for what’s right.”
Salma Hayek, Olympian Jordan Chiles and model Lauren Chan also scored their own covers of the 2025 issue.
Dunne was announced as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model earlier this year, with the magazine releasing images of the star wearing two animal-printed suits.
She modeled a leopard and leather bikini with buckles around the hips as well as a zebra-printed one-piece with a dangerously high cut, paired with a backwards blue hat.
While this is the blond bombshell’s first time on the famed issue’s cover, it’s not her first time in the magazine. In fact, she’s previously shot with Watts in Puerto Rico and Portugal in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
“Sports Illustrated Swimsuit has always been about more than swimsuits and stunning imagery,” MJ
Day, editor in chief of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, said in a press release. “It’s about creating a platform to capture moments that define our times, celebrating people who are shaping culture, and showcasing beauty on a world stage.”
Day said Dunne — who is the highest-paid female NCAA athlete — specifically, “changed the game for athletes everywhere — one of the first to leverage the power of name, image, and likeness deals, she’s built a brand that is both financially successful and authentically her own.”
“When people look at my Sports Illustrated photos, I want them to take away that you can have the best of both worlds — and you can be a strong independent woman while doing it all,” Dunne said about her Sports Illustrated debut in 2023. “You can be an athlete, you can be in school and you can do modeling.”
The 2025 issue, which hits newsstands this week, features tons of other athletes, including WNBA star Cameron Brink, track star Gabby Thomas, gymnast Suni Lee, Olympian Ilona Maher and more as well as celebs like Alix Earle, Brooks Nader for a total of 34 total models.