Top tier for Decker

Brooklyn Decker spent the best day of her career not in a bikini, but in tears.

She cried when she learned she would appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

She bawled when her mother and brother, who secretly flew in from her native North Carolina, showed up at a party in Manhattan in her honor.

And she sobbed again 10 minutes later when her dad arrived.

“I cried three times,” she said. “It was a very good day.”

Things can only get better for the 22-year-old blond model. Being on the cover of the SI swimsuit issue is, in essence, the modeling world’s equivalent of winning an Academy Award.

Past cover girls include Tyra Banks, talk show host and creator of “America’s Next Top Model”; Heidi Klum, host of the reality series “Project Runway”; and Christie Brinkley, who’s been spokeswoman for CoverGirl for longer than Decker has been alive.

“You look at the roster of girls who have shot it, all these iconic models, to be joining their ranks is gonna be great for my career,” said Decker, who appeared on the “Today Show” and David Letterman’s show.

Decker can be seen in the issue wearing six different bikinis but, notably, no wedding ring.

Don’t get your hopes up, though, guys: “I just didn’t want it to fall in the ocean,” she explained.

Her husband – tennis star Andy Roddick – was the fourth surprise guest at the party on Monday.

Asked if it was weird to see his sister posing semi-nude, brother Jordan, 20, replied: “Only when my good buddies comment on the pictures – but I got used to that.”

And what about Dad?

“Oh man, I know that Brook has ruined the swimsuit issue for most of my friends,” says Stephen Decker. “It’s just different. There are certainly no manuals on how to react to that one.”

Once the celebrating is over, Decker doesn’t know what her next step will be.

“It’s crazy,” she said. “This was (my dream), and I got it at 22 … so now I’ve got to kind of rework my game plan.”

The birthday bunch

TV host Hugh Downs is 89. Actress Florence Henderson is 76. TV host Pat O’Brien is 62. Magician Teller (Penn and Teller) is 62. Actress Meg Tilly is 50. Singer Rob Thomas (Matchbook Twenty) is 38. Actor Freddie Highmore is 18.