diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
index 223eb5e7a34f..9a47eb1169ca 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -2227,11 +2227,10 @@ def set_ticklabels(self, labels, *, minor=False, fontdict=None, **kwargs):
             labels = [t.get_text() if hasattr(t, 'get_text') else t
                       for t in labels]
         except TypeError:
-            raise TypeError(f"{labels:=} must be a sequence") from None
+            raise TypeError(f"{labels=!r} must be a sequence") from None
         locator = (self.get_minor_locator() if minor
                    else self.get_major_locator())
         if not labels:
-            # eg labels=[]:
             formatter = mticker.NullFormatter()
         elif (isinstance(locator, mticker.FixedLocator) or
               (hasattr(locator, 'base') and
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
index 43babac20897..eedd803a3914 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
@@ -7032,6 +7032,8 @@ def test_xticks_bad_args():
     ax = plt.figure().add_subplot()
     with pytest.raises(TypeError, match='must be a sequence'):
         ax.set_xticks([2, 9], 3.1)
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError, match='must be a sequence'):
+        ax.set_xticks([2, 9], ax)
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match='must be 1D'):
         plt.xticks(np.arange(4).reshape((-1, 1)))
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match='must be 1D'):