The Chinese world and Olympic champion defeated his countryman and close friend Ma 8-11 11-4 13-11 7-11 2-11 11-5 12-10 in an epic encounter in Dusseldorf to clinch his second World Cup crown.
In a high-quality contest, Zhang fought back from behind to end his opponent's unbeaten streak in 2014, but he soured his triumph with an over-exuberant celebration, which saw him kick through the sponsorship barriers surrounding the court.
As a punishment, the competition jury decided to strip him of his $45,000 prize money.
"I am very sorry for what I did, it was not acceptable behavior and I am sorry," he said afterwards.
However, Zhang refused to let that take the shine off his achievement.
"This was a perfect victory. I have been on a lot of pressure, with people questioning my form. I am now very satisfied and very relieved," he added.
"I would like to congratulate Ma Long on an amazing final. We really put on a table tennis exhibition."
Former world number one Timo Boll of Germany delighted the home crowd as he defeated Jun Mizutani of Japan to claim third place, while the tournament was also memorable for the performances of Aruna Quadri.
The Nigerian was ranked as low as 237 at the start of the year but produced a string of upsets to make the quarter-finals, before finally exiting at the hands of Zhang.
