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Time of India
10 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Who is Paula Hurd, Bill Gates's girlfriend? Net worth, career, and the life she built
Paula Hurd and Bill Gates have attended various elite gatherings, including Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's engagement party in August 2023 The woman everyone's curious about ever since she stepped into the spotlight as Bill Gates's girlfriend. But here's the thing: she's way more than just a billionaire's plus one. From climbing the corporate ladder to championing philanthropy and quietly shaping the tennis world, Paula has lived a life packed with purpose, love, and resilience. Born on April 27, 1962, Paula Kalupa (that's her maiden name) grew up far from the tech headlines and paparazzi cameras. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin back in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. Her professional journey kicked off at NCR Corporation, a big player in tech and finance. She spent nearly two decades there, working her way up in sales and alliance management. It was a grind—but it paid off. Paula wasn't just a corporate employee, she became a key player, leading big deals and strategic partnerships. But career success is only one chapter of her story. In 1990, she married Mark Hurd, the man who would go on to lead both Hewlett-Packard and Oracle as CEO. The two were a power couple in every sense. Together, they raised two daughters, Kathryn and Kelly— Kathryn's an investigative journalist and Kelly once worked with Visa. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Run Your Business Like a Pro - Top Trending Accounting Software (Check Now) Accounting ERP Click Here Undo In 2019, Mark passed away after a battle with cancer, as per reorts. Paula was left a widow—but instead of retreating from public life, she leaned into the things that mattered most to them both: family, philanthropy, and purpose. She continued her work through Hurd Family Investments (also known as MPH Investments), helping manage portfolios and creating large-scale charitable events. But what really lights her up is tennis. Paula currently chairs the Universal Tennis Foundation, where she works to support student-athletes and wheelchair tennis players. Her love for the sport runs deep—so deep, in fact, that it played a surprising role in the next chapter of her life. Enter Bill Gates. The two were first spotted together at tennis tournaments like the BNP Paribas Open and Indian Wells in 2021. Rumors started to swirl, but it wasn't until early 2023 that the relationship was officially confirmed. And then, in February 2025, Gates said it out loud during an interview on The Today Show: 'I'm lucky to have a serious girlfriend named Paula. We're having fun, going to the Olympics…' The world took notice. But here's what most people miss—Paula didn't suddenly become influential because she started dating one of the richest men on the planet. She was already making big moves. She and her late husband donated $7 million to Baylor University (their alma mater), funding everything from basketball pavilions to the flashy new welcome center that opened in 2023. She's been a quiet but impactful force in the education and nonprofit world. Paula Hurd net worth As per reports, her net worth is estimated to be between $4 million and $35 million, with many sources pegging it closer to $35 million. Some estimates go up to $50 million, though the $35M figure is most consistently cited. A good chunk of this wealth comes from her tech sales career and smart investments. The rest? Likely inherited from Mark Hurd, whose own net worth at the time of his death was estimated between $150 and $500 million. Now, Paula lives a relatively low-key life considering who she's dating. She's not chasing clout, not flooding your social feeds, and she's certainly not hopping on talk shows. Instead, she's seen courtside at tennis matches, showing up at philanthropic events, and occasionally walking into high-society functions next to Bill Gates—often in understated, elegant style.
The Hindu
17 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Exploring why nobody wants to face Alexander Bublik on Wimbledon's grass courts
After losing to Alexander Bublik in the final of Halle, former World No. 1 and 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev paid his opponent the ultimate veiled compliment. Congratulating Bublik, Medvedev said, 'Keep playing like that, I hope you're in Carlos [Alcaraz's side of the] draw at Wimbledon. Please, Carlos or Jannik [Sinner's] side of the draw at Wimbledon!' It's a sentiment many others on the ATP Tour share. Bublik is a player other players don't fancy facing, but one they hope will take out a big name or two, thus clearing their own path. The 6'5' Bublik owns a monster serve, a punishing forehand and a dizzying array of drops, slices and trickshots. At his best, he can take the racquet out of his opponent's hand. But even at his worst — he is prone to ups and downs — he is a disarming, distracting handful. Expect the unexpected Indeed, Aleksandar Kovacevic, who defeated Bublik in Montpellier earlier this year, found himself confronted by a string of successful underarm serves at one stage and a bemused ball boy, who Bublik handed his racquet to, at another. 'I was not expecting to play against the ball kid, but you always know there's going to be something funny with him [Bublik],' Kovacevic said. 'It's not the first time he's having fun out here. It's not a bad thing. But for me, obviously, and for any opponent that he has, it's important to stay locked in and focus.' It's not Bublik's worst his rivals are fearing ahead of Wimbledon, however. The 28-year-old heads to London on the back of his best Major run and in possession of his second Halle title. ALSO READ | Wimbledon 2025 preview: Sinner, Djokovic plot to prevent Alcaraz hat-trick At Roland-Garros, Bublik made history, becoming the first male player representing Kazakhstan to enter the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam singles event. It was a remarkable performance for the quality of players he defeated but also for the fact that it came on clay, a surface that doesn't play to his strengths. 'I hate clay, I hope not to step on it for the next ten years,' he said before the tournament. 'I hope the clay-court season ends soon so I can play on grass.' But Bublik found his footing on Paris' red dirt to beat Alex de Minaur from two sets down and Jack Draper from a set down. Both were inspired victories. De Minaur, a particularly difficult man to put away because of his exceptional footspeed, was on a streak of four consecutive appearances in Major quarterfinals. Draper was the fifth seed on the back of a strong run during which he won the Indian Wells title and reached the Madrid Open final. Back on his favourite grass, Bublik showed just what a threat he can be on a fast, slippery surface. He became the first man not named Alcaraz to beat World No. 1 Sinner in 49 matches. He extracted a measure of revenge for the quarterfinal loss at Roland-Garros with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory. It was Bublik's second win over Sinner in six matches, both coming on Halle's grass. ALSO READ | New-look Wimbledon prepares for life without line judges Bublik saved three break points in the first game of the second set before gaining the crucial break to lead 4-2 and smashed three aces when holding serve to force the decider where a break to go 4-3 up proved decisive. 'It's a special one — I had never beaten the top one [No. 1] in the world, that's an accomplishment,' said Bublik, who struck 36 winners, including 15 aces. 'It's a very fast surface, so I had for certain a better chance than at Roland-Garros. I tried to be clutch. I just kept serving and putting him in uncomfortable positions. Tried to return as much as I could. Serve aces so the ball doesn't come back. It worked well.' New maturity Bublik continued to serve big and rip winners on his way to the final, where he had a mental obstacle to overcome. He had lost his six previous meetings against Medvedev, winning only one set in the process, but produced a superb exhibition of grass-court tennis to end that streak. So often the showman, Bublik showed his new maturity with a calm 6-3, 7-6(4) victory. 'I was cursed against you, Daniil,' he said in the post-match ceremony. 'From the mental point of view, that's the toughest match I ever played in my life. I have never beaten Daniil. He's a super tough player to play, especially with my gamestyle, and today everything clicked, mentally and physically. That's one of the wins of my career.' The Halle triumph certainly made many in the tennis world sit up and take notice. ALSO READ | Plotting the contours of the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry: Men's tennis' new main-event Andy Roddick, a three-time runner-up at Wimbledon, likened Bublik's unconventional style to former World No. 8 Radek Stepanek's. Both players, he said, kept opponents off-balance on grass because they always carried the threat of rushing the net, 'except Bublik kind of hits the ball bigger'. Roddick also said Bublik is 'among the 10-15 best grass-court players if he is in form and engaged'. Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker liked what he saw from Bublik in the Halle final, calling it 'great grass-court play' which made his heart 'beat a little faster'. Bublik will enter Wimbledon feeling completely different mentally to what he did a year ago. Ranked as high as No. 17 last June, he experienced a slump that left him outside the top-80. 'I had such tough months from last Wimbledon to probably this summer,' said Bublik, who climbed 15 places to World No. 30 after his Halle triumph. 'I was close to calling it quits after Wimbledon because I was not enjoying it. I dropped in the rankings and I didn't know why. I didn't want to play, I had no joy. Now this is happening. Quarters at the French. Winner here. It's beyond my wildest dreams of what I could achieve. It has been a big renaissance of my career.' Harnessing unorthodoxy In addition to rediscovering the joy of playing, Bublik has also found a way over the last month to extract the most from his unorthodox game. The key has been using his serve to platform his variety, touch and guile. As he said, 'On grass, if you lose your serve, it is maybe tough and I am a guy who doesn't lose a lot of serves. 'If Bublik can serve to potential and hold his nerve, he will be a threat on Wimbledon's lawns. He will know that he can improve on his round-of-16 appearance in 2023, but he isn't getting ahead of himself. 'Tennis is a brutal sport,' he said. 'When I was ranked 17th in the world, I started treating it like a job, a sport that was too demanding. But this isn't track and field, it's not a race against time. There's a ball, and you can do anything with it. That — you must never forget.'
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Brit Jack Draper showed he was born to star at Wimbledon with 100-shot rally when he was FIVE years old
All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue. Scroll down to see the incredible prize money on offer this year WIMBLE WAY Brit Jack Draper showed he was born to star at Wimbledon with 100-shot rally when he was FIVE years old Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JACK DRAPER first showed he was 'born for the big stage' with a 100-shot rally aged just FIVE. On Friday morning, the British No 1 will learn his potential path to a Wimbledon final as he aims to follow in the footsteps of two-time winner Andy Murray. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Jack Draper is set to learn his Wimbledon fate - and it will be no surprise to some if he wins the whole thing Credit: Getty Draper, 23, has soared to No 4 in the world rankings following a stellar year on court, which saw him crowned Indian Wells champion in March. His success comes as no surprise to his former coach Justin Sherring — the man who nurtured his talent at the Weybridge Tennis Academy. And it was one particular passage of play over the net as a kid which caught the eye. Sherring told SunSport: 'I coached Jack from the age of five to 15. His dad was the CEO of the Lawn Tennis Association and I knew his mum. READ MORE IN TENNIS SET FOR LOVE Boulter hopes £2m love nest she shares with Oz ace will boost Wimbledon hopes 'His brother, who is now his agent, also came to the academy. I could see Jack was talented straight away. I had a 100-shot rally with him when he was only five years old. 'He used the whole of the court and just loved playing. Amazing hand-eye coordination — the best I have seen. He also had a massive desire to win. 'I used to make sure I beat him and he always wanted to carry on playing, as he didn't want to lose. I used to tell him to come back tomorrow and try to beat me. He had a huge passion for the game and wanted to keep learning. 'He was always so competitive, with great focus and also a hunger to improve his game. I've coached a lot of kids but what stood out was his dedication and drive. I'm not surprised by the success he has had. He looks born for the big stage.' BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Draper reached the semi-finals of the US Open last year in New York and warmed up for Wimbledon with a run to the last four at Queen's. He was struggling with tonsillitis when he was beaten by Czech ace Jiri Lehecka in the semi-finals in London last weekend — and ended up smashing an advertising board in anger. Former Wimbledon champion resurfaces in viral ad with Rafael Nadal three years after bombshell retirement 2 But that incident aside, Sherring thinks Draper can thrive on the pressure of carrying the hopes of a nation at SW19. He added: 'It's very tough with the demands on tour, the way he has come through challenges to get to where he is now is very impressive. 'Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are up there as the favourites but Jack has shown he can compete with them. If he settles in nicely at Wimbledon, with the crowd behind him, he can be dangerous. 'He has already been to the final there as a junior. Jack has no fear and certainly has the game to go a long way in the tournament. 'It is only a matter of time before he wins a Grand Slam. I was at Indian Wells when he went all the way for an amazing win, you could see the belief he had. 'He has been able to adapt his game very well. He played a lot on clay as a junior but has been able to adapt to playing on different surfaces. 'If he gets into the right state of mind at Wimbledon, he will be a very difficult opponent. It can go either way when you have the pressure of playing in a home Grand Slam. Jack can certainly use it to his advantage.' John McEnroe says he first became aware of Draper nearly a decade ago when the Brit, a foot shorter than his current 6ft 4in frame, attended his US academy. Wimbledon Ticket Options There are a range of ways to get into Wimbledon as one of the only major sporting events in the world that offer sought-after tickets on the day of the event... The Queue As one of the only major sporting events that allows guests to purchase tickets on the day of the event, demand is high. Each day a large queue forms of people wanting either a Grounds or Show Court ticket - with many even arriving the night before and camping to guarantee a place. Upon arrival, visitors are issued a Queue Card, which is numbered and dated and should be kept until a ticket has been purchased. While there is a limited number of entries, it is possible to remain in the queue and wait for people already inside to leave, with those tickets then becoming available. It is also possible to check the status of the queue on the Wimbledon website. This year, organisers are asking potential queuers to download the Wimbledon app and create a myWimbledon account. Show Tickets If you get to the front of the queue, then there are a limited number of tickets available for purchase for Centre Court and Courts 1, 2 and 3. Note that Centre Court tickets are available for the first 10 days of the tournament, the final four days were already pre-sold. Prices vary depending on the Court, seat and day of the event and will increase the further into the tournament you visit. For example, Centre Court rows A-T cost £105 on Day 1 and £315 on Day 14 (men's final). Grounds Pass A Grounds Pass costs £30 and allows visitors to watch matches on Courts 3-18 on unreserved seats, though there will also be a queue to get into Court 3. Ticket Resale From 3pm each day, tickets may become available from people who have left Wimbledon and made their seat available. A Grounds Pass is needed to join the virtual queue on the Wimbledon App. Tickets cost £15 for Centre Court or £10 for Courts 1/2. Hospitality There are a range of hospitality packages still available on the Wimbledon website. Hospitality packages offer guaranteed premium seating to major matches as well as fine dining experiences, complimentary drinks, a shuttle and concierge service. Hospitality packages can also be purchased via Seat Unique. Secondary Markets Sites such as StubHub offer tickets for the main courts for specific days and times. *Please note that StubHub and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value.* The American tennis legend — a seven-time Major-winner — said: 'Jack was 14. He was like 5ft 1in or something. 'So, he had to work on everything. He obviously had a lot of talent. 'I'm not sure how tall his mum is. Or exactly how tall his dad is. I didn't see that happening where, oh, my God, Jesus Christ, this guy's now a physical specimen. 'Jack's really developed into a force. He's seeded No 4 so to me he's the fourth favourite without a doubt. He's absolutely put himself in the mix. He's put himself in a great position. He doesn't have to deal with Sinner or Alcaraz until the semis, that's all you can ask for.' Draper — who is now over his bout of tonsillitis — faced Denmark's Holger Rune yesterday in an exhibition match at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic in Hurlingham, South-West London. After taking a set each, Draper won the deciding tiebreak 10-4. And ahead of today's SW19 main draw at 10am, the Londoner said: 'There are a lot of British players and talent, it's really exciting. 'I will compete hard. It's a great opportunity. I feel good and prepped. I feel strong and ready. At this level, everyone's a great player and everyone can challenge people, even the best players in the world. 'My mindset is whoever I play against I'll have the utmost respect for. They're in the draw for a reason, they're going to be dangerous. 'They're going to want to come out and swing against a guy who's a home player and who's highly ranked. I know whoever I play in the first round is going to be an incredibly tough match but I'll be ready for that. 'It's going to be a privilege to play as the British No 1 and that's what I've always wanted. I've wanted to make Centre Court or Wimbledon my environment and I'm looking forward to hopefully starting that.' FOLLOW Wimbledon across BBC TV, iPlayer, Radio 5 Live, 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, BBC Sport website/app and social channels from Monday.
Forbes
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Jack Draper Needs To Activate Crowd More After Putting Away Popyrin
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 18: Jack Draper of Great Britain plays a forehand against Alexei Popyrin of ... More Australia during the Men's Singles Second Round match on Day Ten of the 2025 HSBC Championships at The Queen's Club on June 18, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by) Jack Draper was a man in a hurry on the first day at Queen's Club when he won in 77 minutes. The next assignment was more in keeping with the duration of a 007 movie. Alexei Popyrin is hovering just outside the ATP top 20 rankings and took the first set off Draper before the number two seed roared back to win 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) in two hours and 13 minutes. That was half an hour less than No Time To Die and the plot was as creaky as Daniel Craig's last outing. Draper survives to meet Brandon Nakashima in the quarterfinals. Draper's own set of cinematic moments is growing as he prepares to take the next leap forward after making the U.S. Open semifinals last September. Jannik Sinner was too strong that day, but that run moved him into the top 20. He had climbed to as high as no. 4 with a superb Indian Wells title, including another win over Carlos Alcaraz, and a run to the Madrid Open final too. The speed of the rise has been impressive although his performance against Popyrin won't be remembered for its aesthetics. Draper's work ethic is well-known, but he lacked a little pizazz in the first act of the last 16 clash with the Australian. Truth be told, the match didn't hold a candle to the Taylor Fritz and Corentin Moutet tussle on Tuesday evening. That was easily the most engaging melodrama of the week so far. Things started to flicker into life in the eighth game when Popyrin found an extra gear in his service returns, breaking Draper to love. When the 25-year-old was in the middle of serving it out, a breeze picked up and blew hats, paper, and even some of the foam rubber of the hoardings onto the court. It brough the loudest cheer of the set. Although the Canadian Open champion served two doubles after everything was cleared, he found an ace with the third attempt to take the opener. Draper was getting agitated and shouted at himself at 2-2 when he threw a double fault in. The vocal release worked as the British No. 1 won the next four games to take things into a decider. The third set plodded on with consistent serving until Popyrin found himself 15-40 at 4-5. He survived and the match inevitably drifted to a match tiebreak. Draper couldn't get the afterburners going today and will have to work on his touch shots a little for Wimbledon. There wasn't a huge amount of creativity involved in breaking Popyrin who rather handed the second set to his opponent on a sliver platter. The heat courtside was surely a factor too given both player's physicality in service games. LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 18: Jack Draper of Great Britain waves to fans as he makes his way to court ... More for the Men's Singles Second Round match against Alexei Popyrin of Australia on Day Ten of the 2025 HSBC Championships at The Queen's Club on June 18, 2025 in London, England. (Photo byfor LTA) One thing that the big-serving Londoner might want to think about is rallying the crowd. There hasn't been much of that at the private West Kensington club. Wimbledon's lawns will be just as smooth but the noise more raucous at times. Draper certainly gestured for more at 4-4 in the breaker and found an astonishing backhand ripper to set up match point. He needs to avoid the long slugfests to truly thrive at SW19. "There's days where I need that extra support, today was one of them. Tough match and credit to Alexei. It was a bit up and down but you guys helped me through that so thank you,' said the 23-year-old in the immediate courtside interview. British newspapers are getting excited about Draper's chances to land his home Slam. A few more Andy Murray-style fist pumps could activate the crowd.
The Independent
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Jack Draper overcomes Alexei Popyrin to battle into Queen's quarter-finals
When Jack Draper played at Queen's last year he was still something of an unfinished article. Then ranked 31st in the world, he was rapidly establishing himself as a name to watch, but the 22-year-old was a rough diamond of a player. The bare bones of the game – huge serve, vicious forehand – were there; all the component parts to make it tick were not. A year on from his last appearance at his home tournament – literally only a few miles away from his home in Putney – Draper is a different prospect. If not the finished article, then considerably closer to it. And still only 23. He has been one of the most consistent players in the world this year, winning a maiden Masters in Indian Wells, getting close to a second on his hitherto-worst surface, on clay in Madrid. The Londoner has looked undaunted on the biggest stages and has reaped the rewards of his increased endurance and fitness, honed by successive five-set slogs at the Australian Open in January, and his ability to seemingly improve week-on-week. Now the world No 6, a couple of spots down from his peak earlier this month at No 4, Draper is in a very different position to a year ago. His rise has been stratospheric; he has spoken measuredly about taking it in his stride. 'Since I was a young guy, I have always wanted to be at the top of the game, and I knew eventually that [expectation and pressure] would come with it,' he said after his first-round win. 'I feel confident, happy. I feel this is exactly where I want to be, regardless of any external noise.' But it was external noise that he would in fact rely on on Wednesday: the combined cheers and roars of 7,700 people inside a packed Andy Murray Arena, who collectively got him over the line in a hard-fought three-set win over Alexei Popyrin. The pair would trade blows for over two hours under the merciless heat (yes, really) of the London sun. Shouts of 'come on Jack' punctuated the air from the moment Popyrin first prepared to serve, and it was Draper who settled quickest, lasering a backhand down the line to win the first rally, and earning an early break point chance. That came and went, as did another at 3-3. In many ways this was a match of missed chances and fine margins for both players. Such is the nature of grass-court tennis. But at 3-3 those missed chances were to prove potentially ruinous as an inspired Popyrin, who returned brilliantly for nearly the whole contest, took advantage of a couple of loose strikes by the Brit to break. The crowd, totally absorbed, was stunned. Popyrin went on to take the set, albeit after two successive double faults on set point, as both players struggled with the weight of expectation. It is evident Draper holds himself, and his game, to enormously high standards – as his various on-court outbursts and racket-smashings this year have made clear. With neither player budging on serve in the second set, he double-faulted at 2-2, roaring in frustration. The match hung on a knife edge. But he regrouped, muttering to himself at the change of ends, and with renewed vigour attacked Popyrin's serve. Draper is not always the most composed character on court and it was clearly the pep talk he needed. A break at the first time of asking altered the complexion of the match, and he ran away with the second set. This was a match of small, barely perceptible shifts in momentum. With Popyrin serving at 4-5 in the decider, the crowd hushed, and Draper seized his chance, blasting a winner down the line to earn two match points. But a wild forehand erased one and the Australian served brilliantly to stave them off; once again it felt like the match could go either way. A tie-break seemed inevitable. When Popyrin snatched an early mini-break the endless shouts of 'come on Jack!' began to sound less encouraging and more imperative, the crowd not only willing the second seed on but wholly convinced he could do it. A bad miss at the net indicated the nerves were there; 7,700 people groaned in unison. But Draper broke back and, whipping a thunderous overhead smash into the open court, gestured to the crowd to roar their approval. They duly did. Draper changed his racket at 5-5. Whether it was the new strings, or his self-belief, the moment proved decisive. A huge backhand down the line brought up match point; now on his serve, a venomous ace sealed it. At least this time, Draper took his chance when it mattered. 'There's days where I need that extra support, today was one of them,' he said afterwards. 'It was a bit up and down but you guys helped me through that.' It remains the case that a player who not long ago was the challenger, the young gun taking on the world's best, now is one of the world's best. He has reached the elite; now it is about entrenching himself there, finding those infinitesimally small margins that still separate him from the very best.
