diff --git a/kubernetes/client/api_client.py b/kubernetes/client/api_client.py
index 1f7c7b81e5..92b727baf3 100644
--- a/kubernetes/client/api_client.py
+++ b/kubernetes/client/api_client.py
@@ -285,6 +285,25 @@ def __deserialize(self, data, klass):
                 return {k: self.__deserialize(v, sub_kls)
                         for k, v in six.iteritems(data)}
 
+            if klass.startswith('dict[') and klass.endswith(']'):
+                # Parse dict[key_type, value_type] respecting nested brackets
+                inner = klass[len('dict['):-1]
+                bracket_depth = 0
+                comma_pos = -1
+                for i, char in enumerate(inner):
+                    if char in '([{':
+                        bracket_depth += 1
+                    elif char in ')]}':
+                        bracket_depth -= 1
+                    elif char == ',' and bracket_depth == 0:
+                        comma_pos = i
+                        break
+                
+                if comma_pos != -1:
+                    value_type = inner[comma_pos + 1:].strip()
+                    return {k: self.__deserialize(v, value_type)
+                            for k, v in six.iteritems(data)}
+
             # convert str to class
             if klass in self.NATIVE_TYPES_MAPPING:
                 klass = self.NATIVE_TYPES_MAPPING[klass]
diff --git a/kubernetes/test/test_api_client.py b/kubernetes/test/test_api_client.py
index 486b4ac5b8..872d580784 100644
--- a/kubernetes/test/test_api_client.py
+++ b/kubernetes/test/test_api_client.py
@@ -25,6 +25,32 @@ def test_atexit_closes_threadpool(self):
         atexit._run_exitfuncs()
         self.assertIsNone(client._pool)
 
+    def test_deserialize_dict_syntax_compatibility(self):
+        """Test ApiClient.__deserialize supports both dict(str, str) and dict[str, str] syntax"""
+        client = kubernetes.client.ApiClient()
+        
+        # Test data
+        test_data = {
+            'key1': 'value1',
+            'key2': 'value2'
+        }
+        
+        # Test legacy syntax: dict(str, str)
+        result_legacy = client._ApiClient__deserialize(test_data, 'dict(str, str)')
+        self.assertEqual(result_legacy, test_data)
+        
+        # Test modern syntax: dict[str, str]
+        result_modern = client._ApiClient__deserialize(test_data, 'dict[str, str]')
+        self.assertEqual(result_modern, test_data)
+        
+        # Test nested dict: dict[str, dict[str, str]]
+        nested_data = {
+            'outer1': {'inner1': 'value1', 'inner2': 'value2'},
+            'outer2': {'inner3': 'value3'}
+        }
+        result_nested = client._ApiClient__deserialize(nested_data, 'dict[str, dict[str, str]]')
+        self.assertEqual(result_nested, nested_data)
+
     def test_rest_proxycare(self):
 
         pool = { 'proxy': urllib3.ProxyManager, 'direct': urllib3.PoolManager }
diff --git a/scripts/api_client_dict_syntax.diff b/scripts/api_client_dict_syntax.diff
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3292bdcdec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/api_client_dict_syntax.diff
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+--- a/kubernetes/client/api_client.py	2025-11-01 14:37:47
++++ b/kubernetes/client/api_client.py	2025-11-01 15:54:48
+@@ -285,6 +285,25 @@
+                 return {k: self.__deserialize(v, sub_kls)
+                         for k, v in six.iteritems(data)}
+ 
++            if klass.startswith('dict[') and klass.endswith(']'):
++                # Parse dict[key_type, value_type] respecting nested brackets
++                inner = klass[len('dict['):-1]
++                bracket_depth = 0
++                comma_pos = -1
++                for i, char in enumerate(inner):
++                    if char in '([{':
++                        bracket_depth += 1
++                    elif char in ')]}':
++                        bracket_depth -= 1
++                    elif char == ',' and bracket_depth == 0:
++                        comma_pos = i
++                        break
++
++                if comma_pos != -1:
++                    value_type = inner[comma_pos + 1:].strip()
++                    return {k: self.__deserialize(v, value_type)
++                            for k, v in six.iteritems(data)}
++
+             # convert str to class
+             if klass in self.NATIVE_TYPES_MAPPING:
+                 klass = self.NATIVE_TYPES_MAPPING[klass]
diff --git a/scripts/update-client.sh b/scripts/update-client.sh
index 2b0ce7be1a..eddcf95411 100755
--- a/scripts/update-client.sh
+++ b/scripts/update-client.sh
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ git apply "${SCRIPT_ROOT}/rest_client_patch.diff"
 # once we upgrade to a version of swagger-codegen that includes it (version>= 6.6.0).
 # See https://github.com/OpenAPITools/openapi-generator/pull/15283
 git apply "${SCRIPT_ROOT}/rest_sni_patch.diff"
+# Support dict[str, str] syntax in ApiClient deserializer alongside legacy dict(str, str)
+# This enables forward compatibility with modern Python typing syntax while maintaining
+# backward compatibility. Users can now convert openapi_types for Pydantic integration.
+git apply "${SCRIPT_ROOT}/api_client_dict_syntax.diff"
 # The following is commented out due to:
 # AttributeError: 'RESTResponse' object has no attribute 'headers'
 # OpenAPI client generator prior to 6.4.0 uses deprecated urllib3 APIs.