Boris Becker shares 2-word reaction as he joins Russell Crowe in mourning Pope Francis' death

Boris Becker has responded to actor Russell Crowe's sorrowful message about the death of Pope Francis. The Pope passed away aged 88 on Monday, after suffering a stroke and heart failure, but had been battling pneumonia and other illnesses for weeks previously.

Russell Crowe is most famous for his role as Maximus in Gladiator. The Australian actor was born into a non-practicing Catholic family but has admitted a fascination with Catholicism since researching his role as Father Gabriele Amorth in the 2023 movie The Pope's Exorcist.

Crowe has also expressed his admiration for Pope Francis, telling Good Morning America in 2014 that, despite not being a practicing Catholic, he admired Pope Francis and what he stood for. On hearing the news of the Pope's death, Crowe posted an image of Rome bathed in sunshine on his X (formerly Twitter) account:

"A beautiful day in Rome, but a sad day for the faithful. RIP Francis."

6-time Major champion Boris Becker was quick to respond to Crowe, adding his two-word tribute on X:

"Word Russell"

Boris Becker was born into a practicing Catholic household and was an altar boy in his youth. The German ace has often expressed how his faith has helped him deal with difficult moments in his life.

Russell Crowe recruited Boris Becker as a supporter of his Australian Rugby League team

Laver Cup 2024 - Day 3 - Source: Getty

Back in 2015, Australian sports site nine.com.au reported that Crowe had recruited Becker as a supporter of the rugby league team he owned. The South Sydney Rabbitohs play in the Australian National Rugby League, and Becker was spotted at a premiership football match wearing a cap in the Rabbitohs' colors. Crowe was known to encourage his celebrity friends to follow the team.

Crowe is a well-known tennis fan and plays the game with his girlfriend, Britney Theriot. He's been pictured in the crowd at Wimbledon and was a high-profile attendee at the Australian Open in 2022 when Ash Barty became the first Australian to win her home championship in 44 years. In 2021, Crowe posted a question on X to his 2.8 million followers:

"Watching the tennis?"

Boris Becker is an icon of the game. He won six Grand Slam singles titles, including three Wimbledon championships. He was a World No. 1 and a two-time Davis Cop champion. He also coached Novak Djokovic for three years, guiding the Serbian to six Major titles.