diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/20611-MRR.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/20611-MRR.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..62288874dc6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/20611-MRR.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+``RectangleSelector`` ``onselect`` now reports actual mouse press and release coordinates
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+The current docstrings in `.RectangleSelector` describe ``onselect`` as a function with the
+the signature ``def onselect(eclick: MouseEvent, erelease: MouseEvent)``. The
+previous behaviour reported the ``extent`` of the rectangle, not the mouse event
+coordinates. The new behaviour reports the actual mouse event coordinates.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_widgets.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_widgets.py
index 71ebd176f0b9..473fece3a796 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_widgets.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_widgets.py
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ def onselect(epress, erelease):
         ax._got_onselect = True
         assert epress.xdata == 100
         assert epress.ydata == 100
-        assert erelease.xdata == 199
-        assert erelease.ydata == 199
+        assert erelease.xdata == 200
+        assert erelease.ydata == 200
 
     tool = widgets.RectangleSelector(ax, onselect, **kwargs)
     do_event(tool, 'press', xdata=100, ydata=100, button=1)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py b/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py
index a199e45d4018..c7dbc1b80b15 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/widgets.py
@@ -2701,7 +2701,6 @@ def _press(self, event):
         if self._active_handle is None:
             x = event.xdata
             y = event.ydata
-            self.visible = False
             self.extents = x, x, y, y
             self.visible = True
         else:
@@ -2714,25 +2713,13 @@ def _release(self, event):
         if not self._interactive:
             self._to_draw.set_visible(False)
 
-        # update the eventpress and eventrelease with the resulting extents
-        x0, x1, y0, y1 = self.extents
-        self._eventpress.xdata = x0
-        self._eventpress.ydata = y0
-        xy0 = self.ax.transData.transform([x0, y0])
-        self._eventpress.x, self._eventpress.y = xy0
-
-        self._eventrelease.xdata = x1
-        self._eventrelease.ydata = y1
-        xy1 = self.ax.transData.transform([x1, y1])
-        self._eventrelease.x, self._eventrelease.y = xy1
-
         # calculate dimensions of box or line
         if self.spancoords == 'data':
-            spanx = abs(self._eventpress.xdata - self._eventrelease.xdata)
-            spany = abs(self._eventpress.ydata - self._eventrelease.ydata)
+            spanx = abs(self._eventpress.xdata - event.xdata)
+            spany = abs(self._eventpress.ydata - event.ydata)
         elif self.spancoords == 'pixels':
-            spanx = abs(self._eventpress.x - self._eventrelease.x)
-            spany = abs(self._eventpress.y - self._eventrelease.y)
+            spanx = abs(self._eventpress.x - event.x)
+            spany = abs(self._eventpress.y - event.y)
         else:
             _api.check_in_list(['data', 'pixels'],
                                spancoords=self.spancoords)
@@ -2747,7 +2734,7 @@ def _release(self, event):
             return
 
         # call desired function
-        self.onselect(self._eventpress, self._eventrelease)
+        self.onselect(self._eventpress, event)
         self.update()
 
         return False