I actually think that not winning helped her to boost her career. She's known for her excellent journey, which will always be present and " there" for people to see, without being attached to the show itself and the stigma it comes with it . Sort of like people going back and being surprised that Kim K did DWTS, except that Zendaya actually capitalized on the platform. It reminds me of Normani's " robbed queen status" which can gain more attention than winning and taking first place.
I was thinking of starting a Tea thread . I think that Val & Zendaya are not as close anymore and I've read about Val's book and his supposed " leeching" off her success by calling her his best partner to date while being a bit patronizing about his " impact " on young Zendaya's career. The last time they were seen together was 2017 during a showcase of the Greatest Showman if I am not mistaken.
On another front, I always said that signing Zendaya was a very good decision just as with Normani . Both were in established franchises or shows and didn't necessarily need to do the show. However, excelling and getting that exposure helped reinforce their position from within their endeavors. It's only the stars who think they can get a small boost without supplementing it with actual work that don't end up gaining much. For Zendaya, she had Disney to fall back on and boy did she manage it well.
Also, am I the only one who gets the impression that the more time passes, the less "positive " she is about her DWTS experience in retrospect? She came back as a guest judge in 2016 but I remember her shading the show more than once in a way that reflected that she changed her mind about it once she grew up. I could be making things up but it's plausible