diff --git a/pandas/tests/frame/methods/test_sort_index.py b/pandas/tests/frame/methods/test_sort_index.py
index e0f3286ec1f2f..c1141f705acbc 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/frame/methods/test_sort_index.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/frame/methods/test_sort_index.py
@@ -785,6 +785,48 @@ def test_sort_index_use_inf_as_na(self):
             result = expected.sort_index()
         tm.assert_frame_equal(result, expected)
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "ascending",
+        [(True, False), [True, False]],
+    )
+    def test_sort_index_ascending_tuple(self, ascending):
+        df = DataFrame(
+            {
+                "legs": [4, 2, 4, 2, 2],
+            },
+            index=MultiIndex.from_tuples(
+                [
+                    ("mammal", "dog"),
+                    ("bird", "duck"),
+                    ("mammal", "horse"),
+                    ("bird", "penguin"),
+                    ("mammal", "kangaroo"),
+                ],
+                names=["class", "animal"],
+            ),
+        )
+
+        # parameter `ascending`` is a tuple
+        result = df.sort_index(level=(0, 1), ascending=ascending)
+
+        expected = DataFrame(
+            {
+                "legs": [2, 2, 2, 4, 4],
+            },
+            index=MultiIndex.from_tuples(
+                [
+                    ("bird", "penguin"),
+                    ("bird", "duck"),
+                    ("mammal", "kangaroo"),
+                    ("mammal", "horse"),
+                    ("mammal", "dog"),
+                ],
+                names=["class", "animal"],
+            ),
+        )
+
+        tm.assert_frame_equal(result, expected)
+
 
 class TestDataFrameSortIndexKey:
     def test_sort_multi_index_key(self):