diff --git a/Lib/lib-tk/test/test_ttk/test_widgets.py b/Lib/lib-tk/test/test_ttk/test_widgets.py
index 4b97a0ec54f..2d9fc9b5ef2 100644
--- a/Lib/lib-tk/test/test_ttk/test_widgets.py
+++ b/Lib/lib-tk/test/test_ttk/test_widgets.py
@@ -704,15 +704,19 @@ class NotebookTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.nb.select(0)
 
         support.simulate_mouse_click(self.nb, 5, 5)
+        self.nb.focus_force()
         self.nb.event_generate('<Control-Tab>')
         self.assertEqual(self.nb.select(), str(self.child2))
+        self.nb.focus_force()
         self.nb.event_generate('<Shift-Control-Tab>')
         self.assertEqual(self.nb.select(), str(self.child1))
+        self.nb.focus_force()
         self.nb.event_generate('<Shift-Control-Tab>')
         self.assertEqual(self.nb.select(), str(self.child2))
 
         self.nb.tab(self.child1, text='a', underline=0)
         self.nb.enable_traversal()
+        self.nb.focus_force()
         self.nb.event_generate('<Alt-a>')
         self.assertEqual(self.nb.select(), str(self.child1))
 
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 1630e8807b3..3aff2a8e502 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #8204: Fix test_ttk notebook test by forcing focus.
+
 - Issue #8344: Fix test_ttk bug on FreeBSD.
 
 - Issue #8321: Give access to OpenSSL version numbers from the `ssl` module,