diff --git a/packages/react-native/Libraries/Image/__tests__/Image-itest.js b/packages/react-native/Libraries/Image/__tests__/Image-itest.js
index b06caca14ea6..346e79e13369 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/Libraries/Image/__tests__/Image-itest.js
+++ b/packages/react-native/Libraries/Image/__tests__/Image-itest.js
@@ -36,12 +36,7 @@ describe('<Image>', () => {
         });
 
         expect(root.getRenderedOutput().toJSX()).toEqual(
-          <rn-image
-            overflow="hidden"
-            resizeMode="cover"
-            source-scale="1"
-            source-type="remote"
-          />,
+          <rn-image overflow="hidden" source-scale="1" source-type="remote" />,
         );
 
         Fantom.runTask(() => {
@@ -49,12 +44,7 @@ describe('<Image>', () => {
         });
 
         expect(root.getRenderedOutput().toJSX()).toEqual(
-          <rn-image
-            overflow="hidden"
-            resizeMode="cover"
-            source-scale="1"
-            source-type="remote"
-          />,
+          <rn-image overflow="hidden" source-scale="1" source-type="remote" />,
         );
       });
     });
@@ -282,7 +272,7 @@ describe('<Image>', () => {
         });
 
         expect(root.getRenderedOutput({props: ['resizeMode']}).toJSX()).toEqual(
-          <rn-image resizeMode="cover" />,
+          <rn-image />,
         );
       });
 
@@ -294,11 +284,11 @@ describe('<Image>', () => {
         });
 
         expect(root.getRenderedOutput({props: ['resizeMode']}).toJSX()).toEqual(
-          <rn-image resizeMode="cover" />,
+          <rn-image />,
         );
       });
 
-      it('can be set to "stretch", which is the same as not setting it', () => {
+      it('can be set to "stretch"', () => {
         const root = Fantom.createRoot();
 
         Fantom.runTask(() => {
@@ -306,7 +296,7 @@ describe('<Image>', () => {
         });
 
         expect(root.getRenderedOutput({props: ['resizeMode']}).toJSX()).toEqual(
-          <rn-image />,
+          <rn-image resizeMode="stretch" />,
         );
       });
 
diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/components/image/ImageProps.cpp b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/components/image/ImageProps.cpp
index 8c2b59bbd6ad..bdebe03b4db5 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/components/image/ImageProps.cpp
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/components/image/ImageProps.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ ImageProps::ImageProps(
           rawProps,
           "resizeMode",
           sourceProps.resizeMode,
-          ImageResizeMode::Stretch)),
+          ImageResizeMode::Cover)),
       blurRadius(convertRawProp(
           context,
           rawProps,
diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/components/image/ImageProps.h b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/components/image/ImageProps.h
index e8a9be18cd6a..df3a21ad7f9c 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/components/image/ImageProps.h
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactCommon/react/renderer/components/image/ImageProps.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class ImageProps final : public ViewProps {
   ImageSources sources{};
   ImageSource defaultSource{};
   ImageSource loadingIndicatorSource{};
-  ImageResizeMode resizeMode{ImageResizeMode::Stretch};
+  ImageResizeMode resizeMode{ImageResizeMode::Cover};
   Float blurRadius{};
   EdgeInsets capInsets{};
   std::optional<SharedColor> tintColor{};