I don’t think zendaya has ever tried to present herself as sexy.

Her particular brand of stardom exists to primarily appeal to teenager girls and young women, she is pretty (but unthreatening), thin and stylish which makes her very aspirational to this demographic.

I think any smart young actress knows to avoid advertising herself as a sexy/male fantasy type because it means your career will have such a short shelf life. Zendaya has privileges from being a child star that allows her to have a no nudity clause so she has never been pigeonholed in this role. Her success is not dependant on her sexuality