I don't really get the mindset that it's bad if Zoro is #1 in Japan or even ends up winning overall. Am I missing something here? I wasn't active on this forum during that period, so I don't know how people were perceiving the results and their potential effects.
The first WT100 poll concluded at the end of February 2021.
Chapters 1009 and 1010 were released between late March and early April; those chapters featured Zoro blocking Kaido & Big Mom's combined attack, scarring Kaido with Ashura, and the confirmation of Zoro's CoC.
The results were announced on May 5, 2021.
Zoro vs. King started at the end of August and concluded at the end of December, so we got KOH during that time.
There's a lot of things that Oda fumbled while wrapping up Wano, but I think it was rushed writing rather than any form of spite toward Zori.
Zoro had some clutch moments in Egghead but had low panel-time. That's disappointing, but I think people forget that despite the arc length, it was still just one arc.
Now, in the Elbaph Arc, Zoro has the 5th most panel time, and it's only going to increase since we are entering the fight conflicts.