Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue 2013: Sports Stars That Could Have Made Cover

Kate Upton was never in doubt of gracing the cover of the 2013 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue—one look at her public following would prove that.

Yet at some level, the glam queen could very well have not made the cover at the same time, given all the beauty currently existent throughout sports.

And considering that, well, Upton isn't exactly of a professional sports star than the next girl—that is, she isn't playing any sports—it's a fair point to consider that the front cover might have gone to somebody else this year. I mean, we're not complaining, but still—it could have gone to an actual sports star.

Here's some of the real sports stars that could have made the front cover this year.

Alex Morgan, Soccer

Alex Morgan is doing her thing to put women's soccer back on the map. Looking at her, many will be wondering how we ever allowed it to fall off.

Morgan is an extremely talented individual who absolutely stars for the United States women's national team—as seen at the recent London Olympics.

Expect to see plenty more of her in this year's Sports Illustrated; we just wish she could have ended up on the cover.

Stephanie Rice, Swimming

Call me biased here for being Australian, but Stephanie Rice continues to establish herself as one of the more beautiful sports stars on the planet.

Not only that, she has a stack of Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medals to boot, so why not throw her on the cover of the magazine?

I mean, she looks like this when she's in her swimmers.

Why ever not?

Maria Sharapova, Tennis

Four-time Grand Slam champion has won more tennis matches than Kate Upton has probably ever watched in her life, and she's looked amazing doing it.

The Russian star has become the stunner on the women's circuit over the past few years, and having posed for Sports Illustrated before, would seemingly have no problems gracing her way on to the cover of the 2013 edition.

Alas, it was just not meant to be.

Kate Upton? Or one of these three? Your call.

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