diff --git a/src_py/sprite.py b/src_py/sprite.py
index 51116ebdfc..a71e868efa 100644
--- a/src_py/sprite.py
+++ b/src_py/sprite.py
@@ -84,14 +84,19 @@
 # specific ones that aren't quite so general but fit into common
 # specialized cases.
 
-from warnings import warn
+import sys
 from typing import Optional
+from warnings import warn
 
-import pygame
+if sys.version_info[:3] >= (3, 9, 0):
+    from types import GenericAlias
+else:
+    from typing import _GenericAlias as GenericAlias  # type: ignore[name-defined]
 
+import pygame
+from pygame.mask import from_surface
 from pygame.rect import Rect
 from pygame.time import get_ticks
-from pygame.mask import from_surface
 
 
 class Sprite:
@@ -372,10 +377,7 @@ class AbstractGroup:
     """
 
     def __class_getitem__(cls, generic):
-        # switch to `types.GenericAlias` once Python 3.8 support is dropped
-        import typing
-
-        return typing._GenericAlias(cls, generic)  # type: ignore[name-defined]
+        return GenericAlias(cls, generic)
 
     # protected identifier value to identify sprite groups, and avoid infinite recursion
     _spritegroup = True
diff --git a/test/sprite_test.py b/test/sprite_test.py
index d0f95ea2d1..f1d55c285a 100644
--- a/test/sprite_test.py
+++ b/test/sprite_test.py
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 #################################### IMPORTS ###################################
 
-
+import sys
+import typing
 import unittest
 
+if sys.version_info[:3] >= (3, 9, 0):
+    from types import GenericAlias
+else:
+    from typing import _GenericAlias as GenericAlias  # type: ignore[name-defined]
+
 import pygame
 from pygame import sprite
 
-
 ################################# MODULE LEVEL #################################
 
 
@@ -666,10 +671,7 @@ def test_type_subscript(self):
         except TypeError as e:
             self.fail(e)
 
-        # switch to `types.GenericAlias` once Python 3.8 support is dropped
-        import typing
-
-        self.assertIsInstance(group_generic_alias, typing._GenericAlias)  # type: ignore[name-defined]
+        self.assertIsInstance(group_generic_alias, GenericAlias)
         self.assertIs(typing.get_origin(group_generic_alias), sprite.Group)
         self.assertEqual(typing.get_args(group_generic_alias), (sprite.Sprite,))
 
@@ -1375,8 +1377,8 @@ def test_memoryleak_bug(self):
         # For memory leak bug posted to mailing list by Tobias Steinrücken on 16/11/10.
         # Fixed in revision 2953.
 
-        import weakref
         import gc
+        import weakref
 
         class MySprite(sprite.Sprite):
             def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):