diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/23170-JMK.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/23170-JMK.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+``get_ticklabels`` now always populates labels
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Previously `.Axis.get_ticklabels` (and `.Axes.get_xticklabels`,
+`.Axes.get_yticklabels`) would only return empty strings unless a draw had
+already been performed.  Now the ticks and their labels are updated when the
+labels are requested.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -1312,13 +1312,15 @@ def get_pickradius(self):
 
     def get_majorticklabels(self):
         """Return this Axis' major tick labels, as a list of `~.text.Text`."""
+        self._update_ticks()
         ticks = self.get_major_ticks()
         labels1 = [tick.label1 for tick in ticks if tick.label1.get_visible()]
         labels2 = [tick.label2 for tick in ticks if tick.label2.get_visible()]
         return labels1 + labels2
 
     def get_minorticklabels(self):
         """Return this Axis' minor tick labels, as a list of `~.text.Text`."""
+        self._update_ticks()
         ticks = self.get_minor_ticks()
         labels1 = [tick.label1 for tick in ticks if tick.label1.get_visible()]
         labels2 = [tick.label2 for tick in ticks if tick.label2.get_visible()]
@@ -1341,13 +1343,6 @@ def get_ticklabels(self, minor=False, which=None):
         Returns
         -------
         list of `~matplotlib.text.Text`
-
-        Notes
-        -----
-        The tick label strings are not populated until a ``draw`` method has
-        been called.
-
-        See also: `~.pyplot.draw` and `~.FigureCanvasBase.draw`.
         """
         if which is not None:
             if which == 'minor':

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
@@ -7766,3 +7766,11 @@ def test_bezier_autoscale():
     # Bottom ylim should be at the edge of the curve (-0.5), and not include
     # the control point (at -1)
     assert ax.get_ylim()[0] == -0.5
+
+
+def test_get_xticklabel():
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    ax.plot(np.arange(10))
+    for ind in range(10):
+        assert ax.get_xticklabels()[ind].get_text() == f'{ind}'
+        assert ax.get_yticklabels()[ind].get_text() == f'{ind}'