It is not surprising why so many actors and models consider it an opportunity to pose for Playboy magazine. The immense popularity it brings can help flourish even a struggling artist’s career.
While most do it for fame and money, others accept it for a cause, and yet some people don’t mind posing nude or partially clothed in this men’s magazine simply because they’re proud of showing off their sculpted bodies.
Hottest Athletes Who Posed Naked For Playboy (Video)
But it’s not just actors and models that are enthusiastic about gracing the magazine’s front page with their sexy pictures, many attractive female athletes have also appeared in Playboy magazine, flaunting their perfect figures.
Excited to know which beautiful female athletes posed for Playboy? Let’s dive in!
Female Athletes Who Posed for Playboy
1. Torrie Wilson
First on our list of female athletes who posed for Playboy list is Torrie Wilson. The wrestling diva graced Playboy’s cover and became a legend in May 2003. The wrestler’s first shoot with Playboy became a big deal. Not only did it give the fans a chance to see Torrie’s athletic body at its best, but it also gave rise to some of the most controversial storylines in the WWE world.
It also spiked a lot of feuds amongst other female wrestlers, while Torrie enjoyed the attention she got on her Playboy cover. In March 2004, Torrie was featured on the Playboy cover once again with her no. 1 rival Sable.
Torrie Wilson is considered to be one of the most beautiful WWE Divas of all time. She is also considered to be one of the most influential female wrestlers of the time.
To speak to this accomplishment, she joined the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019. In terms of nude athletes coming from the wrestling world, she is perhaps the most revered of all.
Torrie Wilson was rated number forty-three of 100 in FHM’s list of the sexiest women in the world. She has also been on AskMen’s list of the most desirable women, twice. She even appeared at the Special Olympics in 2007. In that same year, she was also featured in Timbaland’s music video, Throw it on Me”.
2. Ashley Harkleroad
I cannot complete this list without mentioning Ashley Harkleroad, another super hot athlete to pose for Playboy. The beautiful professional tennis player was the first one in her profession to grace the cover of Playboy magazine in August 2008.
She earned a huge fan following that included most people who would watch her play for her beauty more than the actual game. The player’s highest ranking in her real profession was at number 39, but she sure did a lot better on the cover of the sexy men’s magazine.
3. Amanda Beard
The beautiful and legendary American swimmer Amanda Beard was just 14 years old when she first appeared in the Summer Olympic Games. She went on to three more Olympic events, earning two gold medals, a bronze medal, and four silver medals too.
In addition to all these achievements, the athlete also tried her luck in modeling, which turned out to be a successful experience too. She got noticed and was approached to shoot for Playboy magazine in 2007. The sexy swimmer took the opportunity and posed stunning pictures for the pictorial and won millions of hearts.
4. Gabrielle Reese
The stunning sportswoman flaunted a glamorous aura that culminated in an appearance in Playboy magazine in 2001. The stunning beach volleyball player was as popular for her professional career as her modeling career. For her charismatic vibe and great looks, Reese appeared in countless sports and glamorous magazines, including Shape, Elle, Life, Women’s Sports & Fitness, and Outside.
She was also nominated as ‘one of the five most beautiful women in the world’ by Elle, which gained her national notoriety. But what really made headlines was her nude pose on the cover of Playboy in 2001.
5. Kiana Tom

Fifth on the list of female athletes who posed for Playboy list is Kiana Tom. Kiana Tom agreed to pose for Playboy magazine in May 2002. Being a popular female athlete in the sports world, the recognized star never failed to impress her force and talent in her athletics.
But it came as a pleasant surprise when she pulled off the same characteristics in her nude shoot for the men’s magazine. In addition to having a Playboy shoot under her belt, Tom has also appeared in a number of her own workout series, showing off her incredible body at every given chance. No wonder, she eventually took up the opportunity, even though she was hesitant at first.
6. Amy Acuff
One of the most popular high jumpers in America, Amy appeared on Playboy’s cover in September 2004 issue. She signed up for a while 12-page nude pictorial under the headline “Women of the Olympics”.
The athlete has participated in four Summer Olympics as a part of the USA Track & Field team. Her perfectly sculpted body, toned abs, and great looks were already winning fans over.
And it just worked like a cherry on top when she agreed to pose nude in the famous men’s magazine. The stunner sizzled the Playboy cover with her intense confidence and absolutely gorgeous looks.
7. Katarina Witt
Katarina Witt gained a lot of popularity for her hard work and dedication and is known as one of the great figure skaters of all time. Not only does she have a fascinating personality, but Witt is also a remarkable athlete.
The competitive records she has set in her professional career are truly impressive. She has also bagged two Olympic gold medals, six consecutive European Championships as well as four World Championships. Clearly, this athletic diva needs no introduction.
In addition to all her professional achievements, she also managed to become the face of the second-ever sold-out issue of Playboy magazine. Her bold pictorial left the entire globe mesmerized.
8. Anita Marks
As a part of the professional football team for five years, Anita Marks set herself apart after she quarterbacked two women’s professional football teams, including Miami Fury and Florida Stingrays. She became the choice for Playboy’s September 2002 edition.
She further justified her bold move when she explained why it was interesting for her to jump on the bandwagon to pose for the sexy magazine. She claimed that sportswomen too can look sensual, and attractive, and still play sports. The beautiful female athlete, however, didn’t go all nude. She kept it partial and graced the front cover in a stunning look.
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9. Mia St. John

Talk about the hottest women in boxing, and Mia Rosales St. John is definitely going to be on the top list. She has great career achievements under her belt, which is pretty impressive even though she took off pretty late.
Mia won the International Females Boxers Association Lightweight World Title as well as the IBA Continental Lightweight Title in 2005. When she turned 40, she even bagged the trophy for the WBC International Female Welterweight Championship.
Her career became all the more interesting when the boxing diva’s eleven-page sexy pictorial was released in Playboy in November 1999.
Are you an MMA fan too? Check out our top 15 female MMA fighters!
10. Maria Butyrskaya
Maria Butyrskaya is known for her incredible performances, which are the result of sheer hard work and intensive training. Her figure skating career skyrocketed after the Russian professional skater won World Championship in 1999, and also bagged three European Championships and six Russian National Figure Skating Championships. Her achievements also include her fourth position in the Winter Olympics of 1998 and her sixth position in the Winter Olympics in 2002.
The stunning athlete maintained great fitness to up her game, which also led her to appear in Playboy magazine in November 1998. The stunner graced the cover and earned more fans around the world. She is definitely hotter than the best heater on a cold winter night and makes the number 10 spot on our list of female athletes who posed for Playboy.
11. Romy Tarangul
Romy Tarangul earned a great position and respect in international Judo. Her dedication as a sportswoman didn’t only gain her a huge fan following but also gave her a chance to grace Playboy magazine with her stunning looks and great body.
As far as her career is concerned, she started off with the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 and bagged a silver medal in European Championships in 2008. Also, she won the Judo World Cup held in Bulgaria in 2008.
The gorgeous German Olympian got many chances to perform and outdo her competition on international platforms. This got her into the limelight, which secured her a place in Playboy magazine. The athlete looked stunning not only on the cover but the entire pictorial in the magazine.
12. Nicole Reinhardt
Unfortunately, canoeing does not enjoy enough popularity as a sport as it should. But despite having a limited fan following, Nicole Reinhardt became famous, thanks to her appearance in the famous men’s magazine.
The German sprint canoer became a regular in winning most competitions and coming out in first place whenever she participated in international competitions. She is one of the athletes who haven’t won one or two but eight World Championship gold and silver medals.
Reinhardt outperformed her competition and took not only her sport’s fame back to her homeland but also all the fans that she gained after posing sexy for Playboy magazine.
13. Petra Niemann
Petra Niemann is a German former yacht racer who competed in the Summer Olympics 2000, 2004, and 2008. The famous German sailor brought home a Silver medal at the Sailing World Championship in 2006.
Moreover, she earned many other titles and won national championships in three Olympic Games. For Playboy, she posed alongside other German Olympic athletes, including Romy Tarangul, Nicole Reinhardt, and Katharina Scholz.
14. Mary Sauer
Talk about the history of American track and field, and the name of Mary Sauer will definitely appear on the list. However, she wasn’t the most recognizable until she became the third American woman to break the 15-foot barrier in a pole vault competition back in 2001.
Unfortunately, despite her hard work and dedication, she lost at the trials for qualifying for the 2000 Olympics. And while couldn’t secure a spot in the Olympics, she did win the hearts of the American public with her beauty and fitness by posing for Playboy magazine in 2004.
15. Haley Cope
Let’s get down to the hottest swimmers who made it to our list of female athletes who posed for Playboy. Unlike Sauer, Haley Cope made it to the Olympics in 2004 and won the silver medal in the 4m x 100, medley relay.
The stylish athlete always had that stunning aura about her that was hard to ignore. That’s why we believe that Haley Cope had much more to be proud of than just her silver Olympic medal – her sexy physique. The beautiful athlete was approached to grace the cover photo and complete the sexy pictorial of Playboy.
16. Katie Vermeulen
Not only was she a part of a nude photoshoot by posing for Playboy in 2004 herself, but she is also someone who defends athletes for taking part in nude photoshoots. On top of that, she is also a respected professional athlete.
With Katie, being a part of a reputed sexy magazine for men wasn’t about showing off boobs and butts. It was more about displaying the strength and beauty of women at the same time.
For her, athletes doing nude magazine covers is about courage and strength in sports while also using it as an expression of who they are. The sad part, however, is that even though she boldly became the face of Playboy in 2004, she couldn’t make it to the summer Olympic Games that year.
17. Maria Kanellis
It’s hard to forget that Maria Kanellis was one of the most famous and sexy wrestling divas who got her fair chance on the cover of Playboy magazine. But there are a lot of other achievements she’s known for.
Being ranked as one of the top fifty female wrestlers in 2008 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Kanellis is a TNA Knockout Champion and also holds the Slammy Award for Diva of the Year in 2009. And if you thought that was it, Maria Kanellis also has a strong resume related to television and film appearances.
All in all, the sexy wrestling diva made a mark when she appeared in Playboy magazine in April 2009 and sold a lot of copies.
She appeared in a variety of movies, including Mother hen, Army of the Damned, Saving Christmas, and The Opposite Sex. She also has quite a defined television career. She appeared in Outback Jack, Family Feud, Project Runway, Sunset Tank, Celebrity Apprentice, and quite a few others.
She also has educational merits. Mainly, in 2017 she graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a degree in Sports Entertainment and Event Management.
It is interesting to note that she wanted to pose for Playboy when she was just 19 years old. However, she turned this opportunity down out of fear of embarrassing her sister.
Maria Kanellis was then named one of the Sexiest Women of 2008 by FHM. For the athlete’s nude pictorial, she famously wore a black hooded jacket that she made herself.
18. Sable
Rena Marlette Lesnar, aka Sable, is a name in the wrestling world that needs no introduction. Sable got a chance to become Hef’s girl for his Playboy cover in April 1999. The WWE Women’s Champion and a two-time Slammy Award Winner, Sable has been one of the most stunning, fit, sexy, and fun to watch wrestlers of all time.
The blonde bombshell bagged more than just belts and awards and was one of the first WWE divas to get an opportunity to pose for Playboy. The venture went well not only for Sable’s career but also proved to be one of the highest-selling Playboy issues of all time. Sable did not only appear once on the cover but thrice and twice in the same year. Hats off to this diva!
Sable had the honor of appearing in Playboy twice in 1999 and once in 2004. Sable is currently married to perhaps the most popular WWE superstar of all time, Brock Lesnar. They have two sons together.
Sable also has quite the acting career under her belt. She appeared in films including Corky Romano, Ariana’s Quest, The Final Victim, and Sins of the Realm. She has also appeared in various television shows, including Relic Hunter, First Wave, and Pacific Blue.
An interesting fact is that her appearances, particularly in the April 1999 issue of Playboy, greatly influenced her WWE career. After this appearance, her character turned heel (bad girl). According to the storyline, she turned into an insufferable person with an inflated ego.
During her tenure in the WWE, she was popular for her catchphrase, “This is for all the women who want to be me and all the men who come to see me”.
Check out the 10 best WWE matches of all time.
19. Rebekka Armstrong
Most men envy Hefner not only for his beautiful girlfriends but also for how he gets to interact with some of the most beautiful and sexiest women who pose in his magazine. But what we fail to bring forward is some great character traits this guy has. The best example is financially supporting Rebekka Armstrong, the former bodybuilder, for her AIDS awareness campaign.
The gorgeous bodybuilder not only flaunted her own sculpted body on the magazine’s cover in the September 1986 issue but also sought assistance from Hef to support her in promoting awareness about AIDS as she herself was diagnosed with the illness years later during her photoshoot.
20. Pasha Grishuk
The talented ice dancer from Russia needs no introduction. The hardworking and absolutely stunning Pasha Grishuk took the stage by thunder and became Olympic Gold medalist twice in 1994 and 1998, respectively. Not only that, but she was also able to secure the World Championship four times and European Championship thrice with her partner Evgeni Platov.
The fame got her the limelight she needed for tabloids and magazines to approach her. The stunner didn’t hesitate to bare it all for Playboy magazine and only posed in her ice skates and her nude glass-like skin. Fans still remember the stunning poses of this feminine beauty.
21. Joanie Laurer
Even though she has millions of fans around the world, very few people know who Joanie Laurer is. That’s because she’s more famous by her stage name ‘Chyna’. Also referred to as the Ninth Wonder of the World by WWE, Chyna was excellent in her professional career.
Her spirit was unbreakable, and so was her strength. She wasn’t only willing to take on women in the ring but also men who were double her size. She had this courageous and fearless stance since day one.
Perhaps, that’s what got her a place in Playboy magazine as well. She became the face of the magazine not once but twice in the years 2000 and 2002, respectively. And while she had this heavy-built and bold figure, she graced the cover of the magazine in the most feminine and sexy poses.
Joanie Laurer, AKA Chyna, is one of the few women on this list who had a fantastic adult film career. She appeared in no less than six adult films. These include 1 Night in China, Another Night in China, Backdoor to Chyna, Avengers XXX, and She Hulk XXX.
She actually received two awards for these adult films, which include Best Selling Title of the Year for 1 Night in China and Best Celebrity Sex Tape for Backdoor to Chyna. Her career in the WWE (then WWF) would have lasted much longer had she not demanded a base salary of $1 million per year.
22. Ineta Radevica
Another gorgeous athlete who’s known for both her talent and beauty! Ineta is a Latvian long jumper who won many hearts not only for her sport but also for her killer looks. Even though she failed to bag any big achievements or medals at the Olympics, the popularity she gained was huge.
And there’s a reason why she had all that limelight. It was because before she appeared in the Olympics in 2004, she posed for the issue of Playboy. The stunner instantly caught the eye and had all her crazy fans rooting for her win. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for her.
23. Ashley Massaro
Who can forget the successful match between Playboy and WWE called the ‘Bunnymania’ Lumberjill match? The highly successful event had some of the most stunning WWE divas teaming up with other athletes to fight against their opponents.
Ashley Massaro was the last-minute choice to team up with Marie to fight against the duo of Melina and Beth Phoenix. And while the Ashley Massaro team lost, it was one hell of a match and a great event for all Playboy lovers!
Massaro retired in 2008, but fans still want to see her back not only in the ring but also on the cover of Playboy.
Ashley Massaro found herself in the WWE after she won the WWE Diva Search in 2005. That said, she was not particularly successful in the world of professional wrestling.
However, she does also have other notable accomplishments. For one, she appeared on Survivor: China, although she was voted off after just the second episode.
Although her wrestling career was rather short-lived, she did also appear on an episode of Smallville in 2007. She was also one of the WWE Divas to appear in Timbaland’s music video Throw it on Me. She also appeared in Rev Theory’s music video for Hell Yeah.
Undoubtedly, Ashley Massaro found her greatest success in the world of modeling. She appeared in FHM, Maxim, Stuff, and was on the cover of Playboy after she joined the WWE.
She had already posed for Playboy in both 2003 and 2004. She was also named Miss Hawaiian Tropic Canada and Miss Hawaiian Tropic USA in 2004 and 2002, respectively.
24. LaTasha Marzolla
Number 24 on our female athletes who posed for Playboy list is MMA fighter LaTasha Marzolla. Before she was even an athlete, LaTasha Marzolla was a successful model and already a Playboy Vixen. Then later, she went on and became a professional MMA fighter.
The model-turned-athlete went through this amazing career switch and a great transformation that didn’t compromise her fighting capabilities or her strength. The stunning fighter graced the magazine’s cover for the first time in 2002. She promoted the sexy example of a healthy body image and appeared several times in the magazine.
From starting off as a model to becoming a kick-ass boxer, LaTasha proved how women could go places with their talent and beauty, which is why she is on our top list of female athletes who posed for Playboy.
25. Christy Hemme
WWE divas were a popular choice for the magazine, and it wasn’t any different for the super-stunning Christy Hemme. The professional wrestler took the Playboy cover by storm and appeared on the front cover in 2005.
Christy has made many transitions to different wrestling contracts since then. But her appearance in the magazine really made a mark for her in her professional wrestling career. She first entered the WWE in 2004 when she won the Diva Search. Christy also won a cool $250,000 along with a one-year contract.
In terms of nude female athletes, she is one of the few self-declared tomboys. She has an affinity for street racing bikes and dirt bikes.
Christy Hemme is not just a former wrestler and wrestling announcer. She had also recorded various pieces of music, most notably Society Box, which was featured on a wrestling program.
She is also the founder and lead singer of the self-titled band, HEMME. She has also appeared in a variety of documentaries and movies. The most recent example is her role as a Zombie in a horror movie called Bubba’s Chili Parlor.
25 Beautiful Female Athletes Who Posed For Playboy – In Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this post of the most beautiful female athletes who posed for Playboy. It’s been awesome to get to know these amazing women and their incredible stories. Make sure you also check out our Top 15 vintage pin-up girls post!