diff --git a/doc/changelog.qmd b/doc/changelog.qmd
index 657922196..cdc83d3b3 100644
--- a/doc/changelog.qmd
+++ b/doc/changelog.qmd
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ title: Changelog
 
   if the `y` aesthetic is mapped to datetime column in another layer.
 
+- Fixed bug for matplotlib>3.10 where the `axis_ticks_length` for the x-axis
+  had no effect.
+
 ## v0.14.3
 (2024-11-26)
 [![](https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.14224336.svg)](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14224336)
diff --git a/plotnine/themes/themeable.py b/plotnine/themes/themeable.py
index a20a489cb..f5c1fb3db 100644
--- a/plotnine/themes/themeable.py
+++ b/plotnine/themes/themeable.py
@@ -1037,9 +1037,21 @@ class axis_ticks_major_x(MixinSequenceOfValues):
     def apply_ax(self, ax: Axes):
         super().apply_ax(ax)
         params = ax.xaxis.get_tick_params(which="major")
-        if not params.get("left", False):
+
+        # TODO: Remove this code when the minimum matplotlib >= 3.10.0,
+        # and use the commented one below it
+        import matplotlib as mpl
+        from packaging import version
+
+        vinstalled = version.parse(mpl.__version__)
+        v310 = version.parse("3.10.0")
+        name = "bottom" if vinstalled >= v310 else "left"
+        if not params.get(name, False):
             return
 
+        # if not params.get("bottom", False):
+        #     return
+
         tick_params = {}
         properties = self.properties
         with suppress(KeyError):